Catalog (424)

Two pairs of fireman's gloves made of cotton and hand-stitched sashiko. Long ones are used but in good condition. Short one look almost new. The second half of the 19th century. Long gloves L:40cm, W:17cm. Short gloves L:24cm, W:14cm

Uchishiki which is one of temple decorations put under the altar. This one is made of "hangiri" (pants), which is one of No costumes. It is made of blue ground silk satin with "hiun and uroko" (flying cloud and fish scale) design with gold treads. It has kanji letters "Meiji 5 (1873)"in the back, however it is the date when it was dedicated, so the age of the cloth might have been from late Edo period. Real gold thread is woven for the design. In good condition except for some whitish stains in ...

Uma-gake (horse cover) made of hand-spun cotton and has hand-drawn tsutsugaki design whose motifs are hyotan (gourd), tassel and kanji letters. Letters can be either the place or horse's name. This colorful one was used for a festival or a ceremony. It has red cotton lining. In excellent condition. 19th century. 31.5cm x 2m36cm The last image is one hint how uma-gake was used from the woodblock print, ukiyo-e by Katsushika Hokusai (1760～1849).

Juban (under kimono) made of three kinds of silk cloth. One is silk crepe with yamamayu (wild silk) stripes and the other is silk crepe with stripes. The third one is tsumugi (pongee silk) with katazome komon (stencil-resist-dye small pattern). All natural dyed. Yamamayu (wild silk) is rare and precious comparing with cultured silk. It is hardly dyed, so that it stands out shiny when woven together with silk crepe. It is sewn with very fine choma (ramie) thread so that it is rather old. The lini...

Zabuton, a floor cushion made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. One side has kasuri pattern. It has four layers of cloth and sashiko (quilting) with white cotton yarn. Generally, in good condition but has wear or breaks in hems. Early 20th century. W:58cm, L:59cm.

Urushi sakazuki (sake cup) made of wood and painted with black urushi. It has hand-painted sculp with red urushi which is for a charm against evil spirits and used in a temple or a shrine. It is from Akita prefecture in Tohoku. Late Edo period (The first half of the 19th century). In good condition. H:3.5cm, Diameter:10.3cm

Tatou-gami made of recycled old washi (Japanese handmade paper) with kakishibu (persimmon tannin) for waterproof. Tatougami is used for wrapping kimono, precious items and so on. This was used for wrapping old books. It has four cords made of washi too. The second half of the 19th century. In good condition. 62cm x 67.5cm when it is flat.

A woodblock print on washi with 29 ways of wearing tenugui which is the Japanese hand towel made of cotton. It has been using as hand towel as well as hat or scarf. In good condition except for a break in one of the corners. Printed by "Isetatsu which was founded in 1864, very late Edo period in kanda in Tokyo. The second half of the 19th century." 25cm x 37.5cm

A wooblock print book whose pictures were originally by Ando Hiroshige (or another name Utagawa Hiroshige) who was a prominant and well known ukiyoe-shi (1797~1858). This book was edited in Ansei 2nd (1855). In good condition but has some patina from aging. 11.5cm x 18cm x 0.5mm 38 pages

Woodblock print, Ukiyoe, the original picture is painted by the third generation of Utagawa Toyokuni (Utagawa Kunisada, 1786～1865）The place is Nihon-bashi in Edo, the first stage of the "Tokaido Fifty-Three Stages". The man is a "katsuo-uri", bonito fish vender. In good condition. Mid 19th century. W:25cm, L:37cm

Ema, a wooden pictorial offering on which writing one's wishes. This one is rare one with miniature iron swords which belong to Fudo Myoo (Cetaka). It has writings, "Fudo Myoo", " Ohshu, Sukagawa Nakamachi". It is the place in Fukushima prefecture in Tohoku district. In good condition. The first half of the 19th century. L:47cm, W:28cm

Twelve Shinsho are guardian Buddhas of Yakushi Nyorai and they are 12 worriors and armoured. They have 12 animal symbols on the head. This one looks "Sarugami", monkey judging from the apprearance. Early 18th century. In good condition but some parts are lost. Height:29cm Width:12cm

Wooden Buddhist statue, probably one of the 12 Shinsho who guard Yakushi Nyorai. Both arms and other parts are lost. 18th century or earlier. H:16.7cm W:6cm

Wooden urushi Bento-bako (lunch box) made in Wajima in Ishikawa Pref. Wajima-nuri has been made in the region since mid 17th century. It has removable two pieces for a partition between rice and dishes and one plate. In excellent condition except for some hairline in the bottom. 20th century. 25.5cm x 15.5cm x 6.3cm

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

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

Book titled "Pattern Weaves" authored by a prominent researcher of weaving techniques and also a textile artist, Keiko Kobayashi(1947~). It has abundant examples of weaving and patterns all over the world with images and her own drawings. 465 pages including 24 color pages. Published in 2017. B5 size. $40 with tax.

This is a book of the woodblock prints by Rinpa school painters such as Furuya Korin ( 1875~1910 ), Kamisaka Sekka ( 1806~1942 ), Nakamura Hochu ( ~1819 ) and Taniguchi Kokyo ( 1864~1918 ) published by Unsodo in 2005. This book is consist of the selected works of their original woodblock print books published during Meiji period ( 1868~1912 ). It has 85 pages with more than 120 prints in full color. Written in Japanese only. ISBN 978-4-7538-0198-5 Brand new. 24cm x 24cm

Mashiko-yaki plate with modern pattern in green and brown glaze. Made by Okamoto Yoshihisa, a craftsman in Mashiko in Tochigi prefecture, north of Kanto district. In excellent condition. Contemporary. 25.5cm x 22cm x 1.5cm

A vest made of wash, Japanese handmade paper made from mulberry fiber and vegetable indigo dyed katazome (stencil-resist-dye) pattern. It is made in Toriyama in Tochigi prefecture, north of Kanto Plane. Washi has been made in the region from about 700 years ago. It is made by Fukuda Washi Producer. In excellent condition. Contemporary. 66cm x 77cm

A piece of cloth with many kinds of cotton shibori fragments. It shows several kinds of shibori techniques. All machine-sewn. In excellent condition but white parts are slightly changed to pinkish because of the color bleeding. The second half of the 20th century. 45cm x 2m

Urushi bowl made by Kizaki Tsukiho (1984~) who is an emerging urushi craftsman in Shiga Pref. He makes a wood bowl himself and paints urushi too, generally it is done by each craftsman. Texture is rather rough comparing with common urushi bowl but stronger. Contemporary. In excellent condition. Diameter:11.5cm H:8.3cm

Kokeshi made by Takahashi Akinori at Takahashi Hashime Studio in Sendai in Miyagi Pref. The body has beautiful urushi design. In excellent condition. 20century. H:37cm Diameter of the bottom:7.5cm

Yukata (cotton unlined kimono) with shibori (tie-dye) whose motifs are tomoe (three-way), aboshi (fishing net being dried) and a logo with the character uma (horse). The shibori techniques are: Miura shibori and Ori-nui shibori (folded and stitched). It is hand-sewn and all tie-dye is by hand. Vegetable indigo dyed. In excellent condition. 20th century. 126cm x 131cm

Ainu woman doll made of clay with cotton clothing which might be "ru-unbe" or "kaparamip". The Ainu pattern is hand-drawn. In excellent condition. 20th century. H:25.5cm

Ikkan-bari basket made of bamboo and paper. Ikkan-bari is a Japanese traditional craft which is: many layers of washi (Japanese handmade paper) are pasted on the bamboo or wood frame, or wood or clay mold. And then coated with urushi or kaki-shibu (persimmon juice) when it becomes dry and hard. It has paper(not Japanese paper) pasted on the bamboo basket and coated with kaki-shibu. Cloth hand-painted daruma and Benkei are collaged on both sides. In excellent condition. Contemporary. Diameter: 33...

Iwai-Bandori which is a backpack pad for carrying household items on wedding, made in Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku. It is made of cotton rags. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. L:110cm, W:28cm

Four volumes of sample books of mingei textiles which are all natural dye and handwoven from Aomori to Kagoshima prefecture. Some are designated as intangible national assets, however some haven't been woven anymore now, and some are reproduced. They include precious bast fibers such as fuji-fu (wisteria), shina-fu, kuzu-fu and so on. They also have natural dye textiles such as shikon-zome, akane-zome, indigo dye Arimatsu Narumi shibori, tsumugi and so on. Published in 1965, 3 volumes and a supp...

A small bag made of ohyo fiber, one kind of elm. It is made in Asahikawa in Hokkaido. Warps and wefts are hand-plied. It has a wood carved decoration. In excellent condition with an original carton box. 20th century. 20.5cm x 10.5cm x 5cm

Wood tray with traditional Ainu pattern made by Ainu people in Hokkaido. Generally in good condition but has some scratches and the reddish color came off. 20th century. 30.5cm x 20.2cm x 1cm

Biku, fishing basket, used by a fisherman in rivers. It is made of bamboo strips and urushi painted. It has a cord made of bast fiber. Some spaces between bamboo strips, but no break. in good condition. The first half of the 20th century. H:24cm, W:22cm

Small bamboo basket box with washi. The corners of the bamboo basket are rather breakable, so it has nice washi for reinforcement outside as well as inside. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. 10.5cm x 16cm x 5.5cm (with a lid)

Bamboo flower basket with a water container (otoshi) which is also made of bamboo. Otoshi has no water leaking and has nice color. The basket is in excellent condition except for a minor break near bottom and body (5mm north). The first half of the 20th century. H:41cm, W:24cm, Otoshi H:20cm, Diameter:13cm

This is a pair of bamboo ornaments with carved Chinese-style poetry, however some Chinese characters are not readable, so its meaning is not clear either. In good condition. W:9.5cm, L:94cm

Bamboo tray handmade of bamboo strips. It is for uchiwa fan to be put in, which is one kind of fan used in hot summer. In excellent condition except for a loose strip in the bottom of th oval part. 20th century. 28cm x 33cm x 2.5cm

Winnowing basket called "箕（mi)"which is used by farmers to eliminate or blow out unnecessary stuffs. It is made of bamboo and covered with washi and painted with kakishibu (persimmon tannin). Bamboo mi is made in rather warmer region and bast of trees are made in colder region, however, it is not clear when these ones are made. Generally, in good condition but have some minor breaks or rips. 20th century. W:45cm to 43cm, L:36.5cm to 34cm. Possible to sell one piece for $40.

Boro furoshiki with many mending patches with various cloth and interesting mending stitches. The ground cloth is thin cotton cloth in gray. The first half of the 20th century. 126cm x 126cm

Boro hanten noragi made of cotton with stripes and plain which are vegetable indigo dye. It has two layers of cloth and sashiko all over. The shape of sleeves is "makisode. The frist half images are inside out. The first half of the 20th century. 128cm x 87cm

Four ceramic rectangular plates with geometric glaze. It has kiln's stamp in the back side in one of the plates, however not identified. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:10cm, L:17.5cm, H:3cm

A set of 5 chataku (saucer for tea cup) made of brass and black checker pateern looks painted with urushi. In good condition but some parts where black urushi came off and hair lines. It has engraved mark, "Shobido" in the back. 20th century. Glass tea cup is not included. 11cm x 11cm x 1.2cm

A pair of "Ashimoto andon (foot lantern) made of cedar board, bamboo and washi (Japanese hand-made paper). The paper is replaced from shoji-gami (white paper for paper screen) to recycled washi which was a record book of a merchant in late Edo period. Washi is made from paper mulberry bark and very strong. With a carton box for a pair. 20th century. In excellent condition. 18cm x 18cm x 47cm (with a handle).

Design book of Japanese traditional patterns which are originally designed by Katsushika Hokusai (1760?~1849), a notable and prominent Ukiyo-e-shi. The title is "Shin-gata Kommon-cho", a new komon design book. It has a pair of two designs, which are woodblock print, black line in one page and colored in the other and each has a name. 74 patterns in a ciecle. In excellent condition. Published in Taisho 14 (1925) by Okamoto Ihei in Kyoto. 22cm x 17cm x 2cm

Miniature set of koi-nobori (carp streamer) which is put up on the Boy's Festival (or Child's Day on May 5). It is often decorated with miniature yoroi-kabuto (armors) or samurai dolls. Carp is a symbol of strength and success. 1970s. Two banners and outer cloth of two carp are synthetic. In good condition except for a small tip in the one of spears and one of tiny screw for wheels (yaguruma) is lost. It comes with original carton box. Highest: 1m7cm, Blue carp L:25cm Red carp L:15cm Black woo...

A pair of wood form for tabi socks. It is written the size "9" which is W:7cm, L:21.7cm, H:4.7cm. In good condition but it has the part of the arch of the left foot cut off. The first half of the 20th century.

A Back-pack bag made of hemp which was used by a mountain worker. In excellent condition. The second half of the 20th century. W:33cm, H:36cm

Rare bag for back pack made of plant, possibly "suge" (Carex) but not 100% sure. It is hand-knitted with very skillful technique. Used by a mountain worker. In excellent condition. 20th century. L:38cm W:27cm

Bag handmade of bamboo strips with nice color. Handles are also made of thin bamboo sticks. In excellent condition, no break or loose part. The second half of the 20th century. W:39cm, H:23cm, 6cm

A tiny handbag handmade of bamboo strips. It is all handmade of bamboo, such as body, handles and clasp. Generally in good condition but has two tiny holes in the corners in the bottom. The first half of the 20th century. W:17cm, H:13cm, D:9cm

A basket made of bamboo strips and mountain grapevine which is a machete case. It is brought with a mountain worker. In good condition but has a few breaks near bottom. The first half of the 20th century. H:26cm, W:12cm, 4cm

A basket made of akebi (Akebia quinata) vine which is from Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. In excellent condition, no break. The first half of the 20th century. H:22cm, W:30cm, D:20cm

Candle stand made of wood and bamboo. The wick and the saucer are made of copper. In excellent condition except for a hairline in the bamboo, but no problem for use. The first half of the 20th century. H:39cm Diameter of the bottom:18cm

A bag for backpacking made of rice straw. It has indigo dyed hemp thread ornament. The cord is cotton. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:41cm H:37.5cm Thickness:5cm

A bag made of rice straw. In good condition but some scraps of rice straw fall. The first half of the 20th century. W:39cm H:21cm Thickness:12cm

Basket made of bark of hiba, a family of the Japanese cypress. It is used by a mountain worker, and tools, lunch or collected mushrooms are put in. In good condition except for a few breaks in the rim. The first half of the 20th century. W:28cm H:31cm

A pair of goldfish lantern made of washi (handmade paper) and bamboo strips which is the origin of Nepta (or Nebuta) used at Nepta festival in Hirosaki city in Aomori prefecture. The goldfish lantern made of paper and bamboo strips were used till around 1980s, but now it is replaced to one made of vinyl and wire. In good condition except for some brownish spots in the white parts. Large one: H:35cm W:34cm, Small one: H24cm W20cm

Rare hat made of rice straw and indigo dye cotton cloth which is hand-spun. It was worn by a hunter or a worker in the mountain. From Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku. Generally in good condition. The first half of the 20th century. L:52cm (indigo cloth 42cm ), W:32cm

Knitted bag made of asa (hemp or ramie) and kakishibu (persimon tannin) is coated with. It has mending parts, however, in good condition. It was used by a mountain worker. The first half of the 20th century. W:39cm, L:36cm

Yuki boshi (snow hat), or yuki kabuto (snow helmet) made of Obana, or Yamagaya (Japanese pampas) and cotton yarn for decoration. It has belts made of indigo dye and hand spun cotton inside. In good condition except for some wear in the decorative yarn. The first half of the 20th century. W:48cm, L:48cm

Tsuto made of rice straw which is used for containing ceramic plates. It has a small wooden tag "12 plates". In old age, there was no plastic cushioning material so that rice straw was used much for it and for other crafts. In good condition and very few scraps which is usual for old crafts made of rice straw. The first half of the 20th century. Diameter:24cm, H:26cm

A case for hemp seed made of hechima, sponge gourd, one kind of squash. It has writing "hemp seed" and the year "Showa 9", 1934. It has beautiful color of urushi and kakishibu by aging. L:83cm, Diameter:12cm