Kong Qui, better known as Confucius, was born in 551 B.C. in the Lu state of China. Confucius's principles had a basis in common Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor worship, respect of elders by their children (and in traditional interpretations) of husbands by their wives. In this painting is depicted he is surrounded by ten disciples, who were chosen as the most eminent pupils of his school. Painted with ink and pigments on silk...

Antique Buddhist painting of Monju Bosatsu. Monju symbolizes wisdom and the enlightened mind, and represents as the personification of the Buddha's teachings. The painting is depicted bosatsu sits a top of shishi (lion) executed in comical style with confident ink brush strokes. Painted on paper. Signed Kasho, which is the artist name of Ikeno Taiga, and sealed.

Ike no Taiga (1723-1776) was a Japanese literati painter and calligrapher active during mid Edo period...

Yanagisawa Kien (1704-1758) was active during mid Edo period, 18th century in Japan. He was one of the pioneers of the Japanese literati paintings and prominent at the richly coloured bird and flower paintings. Here, the severity and sharpness of the colorful flower is faithfully observed. Signed Kien and sealed. One of his masterpieces is collected at Tokyo National Museum.

The piece is in fine condition. It is accompanied by an paulownia wood storage box. The scroll wears ivory end...

Jurojin, the God of longevity. On the scroll that he holds is written the lifespan of all living things. Painted with ink on paper. Signed and sealed. The piece is attributed to Suzuki Rinsho (1732-1803). The artwork is in reasonable condition with some marks present due to age. The work has been restored sometime in the past. There are some marks, stains and light damages visible on the mounting...

O-tsu-e or Otsu paintings is Japanese folk art named after the town of Otsu in Shiga Prefecture. The piece is depicted the Benkei, who was a Japanese worrier monk and commonly represented as a man of great strength and loyalty, lifting a fuge hanging bell from a Buddhist temple. His image of raising a giant bell by hand was a particularly popular subject among people during Edo period.

The piece is in reasonable condition with some creases, marks and loss of pigments present due to age...

The painting depicted court musicians playing divine music called Bugaku. Bugaku is a Japanese court music accompanied by dancing. Here one of the players plays shen (a bamboo instrument first produced in China in 7th century) and the other one sounds a massive drum with mitsudomoe crest (three comma-shaped figures in a circle). Bugaku carries a ritualistic implication and is usually played at the start before dance performance begins. Bugaku purifies the stage. Painted with ink and pigments...

A female dancer dressed in massive and splendid Noh attire. The painting is attributed to Iwasa Matabei (1578–1650), a renowned Japanese painter who is often considered originating ukiyo-e genre painting...

A male dancer dressed in massive and splendid Noh attire...

Goldfish in a glass bowl along with chrysanthemum and peony flowers, and seasonal food and fruit in a woven basket. Edo period, 18th century. Painted with ink, pigments and sunago (powdered gold leaf) on paper. The screen frame is decorated with old negoro lacquer. Goldfish was extremely luxury item until mid Edo period, late 17th century in Japan. During this time, viewing fish was only from the above and not the side. After the manufacturing process of colorless glass called“vidro” introdu...

Hotei, or Budai in Chinese, very well depicted dozing off or perhaps contemplating on the linen bag, in which he carries precious things. Painted on silk with ink. Sealed. It comes in poulownia wood store box. There are some stains and tiny insect damages are present on the painting, otherwise it is in good condition. The mounting is very good condition with light creases. It wears ivory scroll end.

Painting : 22 5/8" x 18 1/8” (57.3cm × 45.8cm)　
Scroll : 28 3/4" x 56 1/4�...

An expressive Bizen ware tiger statue. Circa late Edo - Meiji period, 19th Century. In the history, Japanese artists tried to represent the tiger as realistic as possible, as they were commissioned by shogun to decorate the walls of castles and the collections with symbol of power - tiger. However tiger was not indigenous to Japan, and so they pursued the drawing techniques by studying the animal's skin as well as Chinese and Korean arts imported to Japan. Since Tigers were described as giganti...

A large Oni (ogre) grabbing at a samurai on the horseback. Circa 17th Century. Signed Eishin and sealed. Kano Yasunobu (Eishin) (1613-1685) was a brother of Kano Tan'yu and Kano Naonobu. He was selected to succeed as head of the Kano school. In 1630 Yasunobu moved to Edo, where he served as court painter at the Tokugawa shogunal court. He was granted a residence in the Nakabashi district of Edo, where he founded the Nakabashi Kano School, which was one of the four highest-ranking Kano studios. ...