Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (184)

A gun powder container (kayaku-ire) made of twisted paper string and urushi (lacquer) is painted. It is very sturdy and light-weight so that it was made to many living wares such as a bowl, a sake cup, jingasa (hat), tobacco pouch, trunk, etc. from Edo period. In excellent condition with a deer skin pouch. 19th century. W:7cm H:16.5cm

Hagoita (battledore) with oshie which is the Japanese traditional craft. Motifs are figures, kabuki actors, flowers, birds etc. They are made into raised pictures with silk crepe with lining of cotton and attached on the wood or paper board. Hagoita is used for the game "hane-tsuki" played on the New Year's Day. Two persons hit a shuttle with hagoita. This one has oshie woman in traditional kimono. It has letters that show it was made in Meiji and in Tokyo...

Raku-yaki tea bowl for tea ceremony. Raku-yaki is hand-shaped with pallet but not with the potter's wheel. This bowl has pinkish glaze and nice grey glaze in the bottom inside. 18th or 19th century. In good condition. Diameter:13cm Height:9cm

A piece of Narumi-Kongata (also called Urumi-zome) cloth which is hand-spun cotton and dyed with vegetable indigo. Narumi-Kongata is one kind of katazome (stencil-resist-dye) imitating shibori. It had been produced from late Edo to Meiji period but not produced anymore. It has auspicious shrimp motif with intricate pattern which requires high dye and stencil making technique. In excellent condition. 35cm x 172cm

Hanten remade from Echigo-jofu kimono which is handwoven with choma (ramie) and both weft and warp are hand-plied. Echigo-jofu has been woven in Echigo region in Niigata prefecture since ancient time. Especially, pictorial and cross double kasuri patterns were very popular and much produced in late Edo period (the first half of the 19th century). Those Echigo-jofu with cross double kasuri kimono are seen many in Ukiyo-e. This hanten has double kasuri pattern and stripes. 19th century...

Baby's ceremonial kimono made of Echigo-jofu which is hand-woven of choma (ramie) and dyed with indigo. The fine kasuri pattern is yoko-gasuri (weft kasuri) and bamboo, pine tree and plum bloom motifs. Echigo jofu was first woven asa kasuri in mainland Japan having been influenced by Ryukyu (Okinawan) kasuri. The dye is called Ai-sabi which is very dark blue dyed with vegetable indigo mixed with shoen (burnt pine shoot) or other catalysts...

Yuki-boshi (snow hat) made of weed and from Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. It is said it was worn by "matagi", a hunter. It has fragments of washi dyed with kakishibu (persimmon tannin) for waterproof. The second half of the 19th to early 20th century. In good condition. 45cm x 50cm

Rare item. Rokushaku Kanban which was worn by a palanquin bearer (kago-kaki) who was a servant worked for a feudal lord (tono-sama) and a bearer of a palanquin when the lord went out. There are various theories that the kimono is called "Rokushaku-Kanban": servants worked in the lord's residence or a castle are called "rokushaku" and the kimono has "kanban" which means a symbol or a family crest...

Han-gappa (short jacket) made of kuzdu-fu whose wefts are kudzu fiber and warps are cotton. Kudzu is one kind of leguminous plant. The collar is made of imported wool. Han-gappa made of kudzu-fu was worn in summer and other ones with lining was for winter. The design of the straps show it was made after Tenpo era (1830∼1844）in Edo period, according to the "Kinsei Fuzoku-shi" Buttons are made of the horn of the water buffalo...

Cotton lining for narrow sash (obi). Most of the fragments are hand-spun cotton cloth, such as plain cotton indigo dyed, itajime mame-shibori (clamp-board dye), katazome (stencil-resist-dye) etc. The second half of the 19th century. 15cm x 4m50cm

Cotton Wa-sarasa produced in Kyoto, called Kyo Sarasa. The word "Sarasa" means cotton cloth with designs which are hand-painted, woodblock printed and copper plate printed, Those sarasa cloth were brought by trade from India, Europe, Persia (Iran), Java etc. in 16th and 17th century. Cotton with colorful and exotic design fascinated Japanese people, especially tea ceremony masters and rich civilians...

Sample book of fragments which are mostly hand-spun cotton with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) and also has ramie and hemp with kasuri pattern and bashofu with katazome. It has about 80 different fragments. In good condition. The second half of the 19th century. 8cm x 24cm x 3cm

Futonji or shikimono (carpet) made of many pieces of hand-spun cotton cloth except for the lining. Most of pieces are vegetable indigo dyed and some with chawata (natural brown cotton)It has some holes and mending patches. Late 19th to early 20th century. 120cm x 130cm

A pair of tabi with sashiko which is made of white cotton cloth. In good condition but has some stains (washed). Late 19th to early 20th century. L:23cm W:10.5cm H:16cm

Furoshiki with tsutsugaki auspicious motif, sho-chiku-bai which are pine, bamboo and plum blossoms. It is made of hand-spun cotton and dyed with vegetable indigo and colored with pigments. In good condition but has a hole (2cm x 5mm) which is mended and pigment in plum blossoms is faded. Late 19th to early 20th century. 130cm x 142cm

Samurai's kaji-haori (jacket), mune-ate (breast pad) and ate (ornament in the back waist) and all pieces have Tomoe kamon (three-way family crest). The ground fabric is not sure, looks mixture of cotton and wool and the lining is cotton European print. There were many massive fires in Edo in 17th and 18th century. Edo government organized the fire prevention system by samurai and then by civilian firefighters (hikeshi) later...

Two pieces of asa kaya cloth (hemp mosquito net. Warps and wefts are hand-plied and vegetable indigo dyed. Faded indigo blue and good condition. Late 19th century. 34cm x 2m80cm

Wood Sumikiri-bon with red urushi. Summikiri means a tray in the shape which four corners are cut. Four sides have painted in Negoro style which has partly black urushi. Used and some scratches and chips. Late 19th to early 20th century. 36.5cm x 36.5cm x 3.5cm