Decorative pair of bronze 'giboshi' temple post tops. Inscripted on the pair is the date: Showa 5 nen - C.1931 March. Also written is Kyoto City, and the name of the donor, Yamaguchi Gendo. Beautiful patina and in excellent condition. Diiameter: 7 1/2" x Height: 16". Ask for shipping quote from our california warehouse.

Exceptional art deco signed Gyokusen-do hand-hammered copper flower vase with the famed foundry's seal on the bottom. Showa Period c. 1960. This vase has a rare Mt.Fuji pattern throughout. Hand hammered copper 'dochu' is a very diffiult technique to achieve. Superb vase in perfect condition. H:9" x Diameter: 9". Ask for shipping quote.

Very elegant bronze Showa Period c.1950 with electic bronze tube for lighting. The oval lantern on tripod legs with beautiful bronze panels each with intricately swirling bronze vine lattices is a delight. One door has a latch and hinge and swings open. Once lined with rice paper and can be done so again on request. At the top is a handle for hanging if desired and a bronze tube for electrical wire and bulb.

Very rare Kato Sogen silver 'kiseru' smoking pipe C.1935 Showa Period. Kato was born in 1899. This pipe comes in a signed paulownia wood box. The pipe itself is silver and has a vine motif in relief. Condition can be seen from pictures. Length:16cm. Shipping included.

Fabulous Bronze Showa Period C.1950 lantern with lotus flowers in 3D relief and vine lattice orb. Either papered or as is, with a light source inside would throw off a spectacular light and shadows. Thick bronze work and in excellent condition. Diameter:12" x H:14". Ask for shipping quote.

Large, thick bronze 'murashido' flower vase with patinated coloring and art deco look. 'Murashido' is a bronze finishing technique perfected in the Taisho Period c. 1912-1926 whereby hotly fired bronzes were dipped in a hot oil to achieve the spectacular coloring effects. This piece displays this genius and more. Would make an exceptional flower vase. Excellent condition with two tiny dents. (see pictures) Diameter: 14" x H:16". Ask for shipping quote.

Rich hand-hammered copper flower vase with a mixed metal silver carp swimming in raised relief. Signed by the acclaimed Hiroshima metal artist 'Ito Sekko' who was born 1884-d.1972. His real name was Ito Takuro but took the artist name Sekko in Hiroshima in the early 30's. Called'Dochu' in Japanese, Dochu copperware is made of a specially alloyed copper sheet, first annealed then made into the form of a utensil. The alloyed copper sheet is placed on an anvil and is skillfully hammered or chiseled. Engraving and small metal fittings are applied to the surface of the utensil, which is then smoked with rice straw to fix the resin. Finally,it is polished with oil and fat so that tsuchime (the hammer patterns) show beautifully. To make tsuchime, it is hammered thou-sands of times; over ten thousand hammerings total are required for each work. This work demands a great deal of patience. Dochu utensils, Whether vases, ornament trays, pots, tea ceremony utensils, cake servers, or whatever they are, change to dark subdued tones from their original copper red, as time goes by. Thus a gracefulness emanates from them. The origin of dochu dates back to when Lord Asano moved to Hiroshima from Kishu Provincei (now Wakayama Prefecture and part of Mie Prefecture). He brought to Hiroshima a copper craftsman, Kiyoshi, who was immersed in his work day and night. The lord dubbed him dochu or Copper-worm. With the lord's protection given to dochu work, the technique developed, but it died out late in the Edo era. In 1902, the technique was again studied and restored by Takuro Ito, and it continues to this day. H:30cm x Diameter: 17cm. Ask for shipping quote.

Fabulous late Taisho Period C,1925 bronze hanging garden lantern. Still with the original bells on the wings and is in perfect condition. The the bronze trellis work on the main body is well executed and the rich green blue patina has lustre and age. H: 37cm x W:27cm. Ask for shipping quote.

Very unique hand-hammered copper flower vase from the famed Gyokusendo foundry. The Gyokusendo seal is on the bottom of the base. Lovely raised undulating rocks with turtles trekking about. The texture on the vase is precise and finely detailed. H: 24cm x Diameter: 20cm. Excellent condition. No original box. Ask for shipping quote.

Lovely early Showa Period C.1930 bronze garden lantern with a blue / green patina. The hexagonal diaper pattern on the body symbolizes the 'kame' or turtle, another symbol of long life. Excelent condition with abit or rust and the top piece is kept on by a bronze stick. Ask for shipping quote. H:35cm x diameter: 23cm

Sensational bronze garden lantern with blue/green patina from age and wear. The panels on the main body feature plum branches with sparrow and pines and bamboo, all auspicious symbols of long life and happiness. The middle base has waves in etched relief. The top has textured diaper with raised heads. Solid and sturdy. The best bronze garden lantern we have ever seen. Ask for shipping quote. H: 76cm x W: 65cm

Absolutely wabi-sabi murashi-do bronze flower vase in its original paulownia wood box. Dated Showa 27 (c.1953) the kanji on the box reads it was a dediction for a new building in Osaka for the Osaka Bank. Made by Shobi-Do, the premier maker of fine silver and bronze works in Osaka in the post-war era. Murashi-do is a bronze patinated technique where the bronze is dipped in hot oil after firing to achieve the lovely coloring effects. H:27cm x diameter 9cm. Ask for shipping quote.