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All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1837 VR item #1431843 (stock #10382)
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$1,800.00
Buddhist shrine with sculpture of the bodhisattva Myoken, deity of the Polar Star and of the Big Dipper.
He is dressed in Chinese garment, standing on the back of a kida (a beast that is half turtle, half dragon-snake), holding an enormous sword. Behind his back a nimbus with seven discs, representing the seven stars of the Big Dipper. To the left of the rock base the head of a snake pops out. (Probably a snake was wound ”around” the giant turtle and broke off. When the sword was replaced, the restoring person found the snake head and did not know that the snake head should pop up on the side of the turtle, and not from the rock.)

Japan, Edo period, early 19th century.

Height case: 8.25 inches (21 cm).

Case: Usual wear and tear, on back label with the text: 19th century Japanese lacquer shrine of Buddha. C. 1820.
Figure: Sword replaced, snake broken off from side of dragon-turtle and glued to the wrong spot, traces of glue on back of turtle (excess glue from underneath deity’s feet), crack in head along the seam of the blocks, polychrome pigments curling up and chipping off at places (showing the underlying gesso).
Otherwise good condition.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Stoneware : Pre 1920 item #1431784 (stock #10874)
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$250.00
Heavy, cream colored stoneware oil plate (aburazara) shaped as a lotus leaf with curled up, irregular edge. Surface on ‘inside’ structured with cloth, decorated with geometric figures in iron brown glaze and covered with feldspar and typical Oribe green glaze.
Impressed maker’s mark in bottom: Jocho? tsukuru.
Japan, Seto region, Oribe, Meiji era, ca. 1900. Diam 7.25 x H 0.8 inches

2 old small chips and some frittings on rim, consistent with age and use

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1800 item #1431521 (stock #10472)
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Small but exquisite scroll paintings in mineral colors and gold on silk. The background in the upper halves in gold.
Aizen Myoo sits on his typical lotus throne on top of the vase full of jewels, surrounded by a circular, red, flaming nimbus. Around the foot of the jewel filled vase are sacred treasures scattered around.
Daiitoku Myoo rides in standing position a long horned buffalo who jumps over waves, while Daiitoku draws his bow.
Rich brocade mounting with the chrysanthemum and the paulownia crests.
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.

Painted silk of each: H 16.8 x W 9.3 x in. (42.7 x 23.6 cm).
With mounting H is approx. 50.5 in.

Restored tear in the upper half of the Daiitoku-painting, otherwise good conditions.

Comes with a plain (uninscribed) wooden storage box.

Aizen and Daiitoku are two of the Myoo who – in Esoteric Buddhism - subdue evil spirits and convert nonbelievers to the teachings of Dainichi Buddha.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Paintings : Pre 1900 item #1431459 (stock #10698)
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$1,200.00
Hanging scroll. Various insects walking in line with luggage, simulating a lord (daimyo) traveling with his entourage to or from the capital (samurai or daimyo gyoretsu). A butterfly, suzumushi, praying mantises, yellow jackets and grass hoppers are traveling in a line, holding flowers and grasses for keyari, carrying a honeycomb for a palanquin, and berries for luggage.
Black ink and colors on silk.
Signed Bunrei; two red seals reading bun and rei.
Japan, mid 19th / second half 19th century.

Painted area: 14.5 x 20.2 inches. Total height: 46.5 inches.

Painting with some light stains, otherwise in excellent condition, mounting damaged.

Mori Bunrei (Meiji era painter) was the adopted son and pupil of Mori Ippo (1798-1871), the Shijo painter. His style and technique closely follow those of Ippo.
A very similar painting by Nishiyama Hoen (1804-1867) is in the British Museum. This type of painting is typical for the Maruyama/Shijo school and could have originated with Maruyama Okyo. The image of a procession walking out of the painting symbolizes the fading away of Edo culture in the 19th century.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1800 item #1431424 (stock #10588)
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$2,800.00
Small shrine with the esoteric Buddhist figure of the Fudo Myōō who personifies Dainichi Nyorai. He is standing on a rock pedestal – symbol of his steadfastness - with a rope in his left hand and formerly with a sword in his right hand (broken off and missing). Behind him a flaming red mandorla. The patterns on his garment and his jewelry painted delicately in gold and mineral colors.
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.

Height of zushi: ca. 5.8 inches (14.6 cm).

Baldachin split and restored, gold decoration rubbed; sword missing.
Shrine with usual wear and tear, hard ware loose in places. All in all very good condition.

Fudo Myoo converts anger into salvation and frightens people into accepting the teachings of the Buddha Dainichi. His sword symbolizes wisdom as it cuts through ignorance. His rope is used to catch and bind demons. The flaming mandorla (also called garuda flame, referring to the fire breathing bird from Indian mythology) represents purification of the mind by the burning away of all material desire.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1900 item #1431362 (stock #10796)
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$800.00
Hanging scroll. A circle on a black background, divided into ten sections around a white central circle that holds the character ‘shin’, meaning heart or soul. The ten sections represent the ten realms that are the ten possibilities of rebirth. On top the four realms of enlightened beings: Buddhas, Boshisattvas, arhats and pratyeka Buddhas. Underneath, the six realms (rokudo): Heavenly beings, humans, Bellicose demons (Ashura), animals, hungry ghosts and hell. Ink, mineral colors, gofun and gold on paper. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

Image: 29.25 x W 21 inches. Mounting: 44.25 x 26.5 inches. Silver scroll ends decorated with cut out peonies on rocks mounted over a sentoku core.

Punch hole in bottom, stabilized by mounting, few small rubbed spots, dent in scroll end.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1900 item #1430967 (stock #10210)
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$800.00
Small round zushi consisting of two parts. The outside of both are covered in nashiji lacquer. On the inside of the one part in relief is carved in fine detail the image of Bishamonten holding a trident and a pagoda, subduing two demons. Inside the cover sits Benzaiten playing the biwa.
Bishamon and Benten are two of the seven gods of good fortune (shichifukujin), but they each hold a position in the Buddhist pantheon, as well.
Both images in plain, unpainted camphor wood.

Japan, 19th century.

Diameter 2.1 inches (5.4 cm).

Wood slightly warped, gold lacquer on the outside dull (under influence of sunlight etc.), otherwise very good condition, very detailed carving.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Stoneware : Pre 1837 VR item #1430848 (stock #11014)
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$500.00
Old sake bottle of strong conical shape with a short neck and everted rim.
Underneath the beautiful milky feldspar glaze a cobalt bue and black sketch-like drawing of sprigs of bamboo. Bottom glazed brown, as is typical for this ware. Mingei.

Most likely Ofuke (or Ofukei) ware, made near Nagoya, Japan.
Edo period, circa 1800
H ca. 6 x diam at bottom ca. 5.5 in.

Ofukei has a historical relation to Seto ware. Similar pieces were produced in the Seto region.

Kintsugi or gold-lacquer repair of lip, otherwise excellent condition

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1837 VR item #1430756 (stock #10618)
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$1,400.00
Shrine with the very rare image of the death of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, called nehan-zu, and his entrance into the state or perfect peace, called nirvana or nehan. The Buddha lays stretched out on a rectangular lotus base, his head resting on his right arm. Although normally in nehan-zu one will see gathered around the bed 52 kinds of beings, human and animals mourning the Buddha, there are none present in this zushi. From the ceiling of the case hangs a curtain of sorts.
Carved wood, gilded and polychromed, with extremely finely painted details in the face.
Japan, Edo period, 18/19th century.

Measurements: H ca. 8.5 in.; W ca. 9.5 in.; D ca. 5 in. (ca. 21.6 x 24.1 x 12.7 cm.). Case: some dents on roof, flaking lacquer at bottom, corrosion on hardware, consistent with age and a humid storage in a temple. Figure: right arm restored, baldachin damaged (some missing parts still extant) and very fragile.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Folk Art : Pre 1900 item #1430632 (stock #10017)
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$1,200.00
Beautiful small wooden jizai, or pothook. This type is called Daikoku, after the shape of Daikoku’s hat. These hangers were suspended with a rope from a heavy beam, over the sunken hearth. From the hanger an adjustable hook was hung that held the kettle. Good piece of mingei.
Zelkova wood with rests of smut, especially in the grooves.
Japan, 19th century.
H 9.5; w 9.25; 2.75 inches.
Slight traces of usage, very good condition.
All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Paintings : Pre 1900 item #1430456 (stock #10788)
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$500.00
Very small hand scroll showing five erotic scenes. High quality painting in the style of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849).

Black ink, colors, gofun, black lacquer on silk. Gold flakes (now oxidized) on the backing paper. Glass or crystal scroll ends.

Japan, Meiji era, 19th century.

L 82.5 x H 2.5 inches

Gold flakes oxidized, otherwise excellent condition.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Sculpture : Pre 1910 item #1430298 (stock #10238)
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$800.00
Sculpture of Fudo standing in front of a flaming halo from which three phoenix heads emerge. Fudo holds his sword in his right hand, his rope in his left. His flaming halo is curved, surrounding him in a dramatic way.
Exquisite carving in very soft wood, probably cryptomeria (sugi), lightly stained with a shade of darker brown.
Japan, Meiji period.

Height 10.6 in. (27.6 cm).

Excellent condition

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1837 VR item #1430255 (stock #10660)
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Circular hand shrine, or zushi, in two halves. Inside, one half shows the bodhisattva Kokuzo carved in relief with a sword in the right (to cut through ignorance) and a wish-granting jewel in his left hand. He sits on a lotus base, placed on a rock. Details of the carving and the background painted in gold, black, red and malachite green. The other half shows a lotus pond, a rock and a cloudy sky painted in delicate lines of gold and silver, heightened with black. The outside of the zushi is left undecorated.

Japan, Edo period, early 19th century.
Diameter: ca. 1.75 inches (4.4 cm).
Scarf tip on the right side of figure missing, tiny unimportant restoration, otherwise very good condition.

Comes with a custom made wooden stand.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1837 VR item #1430253 (stock #10724)
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Nichiren Buddhist shrine containing a sculpture of Kishimojin in demonic appearance, her hands folded in prayer. Kishimojin, or Kishibojin, or Kariteimo, is a complex deity. Originally, she was a demon who stole and killed other people’s children in order to feed her numerous own children. After Buddha Shakyamuni made her see how she made people suffer, she repented and devoted herself to protecting all children. Instead of the flesh of children, she fed her own children pomegranate henceforth.
Women pray to her as the goddess of easy delivery, child rearing, for harmony between husband and wife, love, and for the well-being of the family. Childless women also pray to Kishimojin in the hope of becoming pregnant.

Wood sculpture with beautifully painted details. Eyes inlaid in glass or crystal.
Japan, Edo period, circa 1800.
H of case 12 inches.
Excellent condition. Case doors slightly warped

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Devotional Objects : Pre 1900 item #1429917 (stock #10829)
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$1,100.00
Wooden nyoi (ruyi in Chinese) scepter, an implement used by Buddhist priests during a ceremony or during formal preaching. Carved naturalistically in the shape of a lotus bud on a long stem with a lotus leaf wrapped around the stem. Rose wood or sandal wood. Made in two pieces.
Japan, 19th century.

Length 13-1/8 inches

Tiny chip at leaf edge. Fine condition.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Folk Art : Pre 1900 item #1429055 (stock #10159)
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$900.00
Keyaki (zelkova) wooden pulley, used to scoop water out of a well. Wooden wheel with forged iron block. The inside of the wheel groove (where the rope would run through), lined with a thin sheet of copper. Mingei.
Japan, 19th century

Diameter wheel 12.25 in.; height pulley and block 16.75 in.; thickness wheel 3 in., thickness block 6.5 in.

Keyaki wood with beautiful patina, some dents and scratches commensurate with usage, copper on wheel slightly damage due to usage, otherwise very good condition.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Paintings : Pre 1837 VR item #1427289 (stock #11008)
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Hanging scroll. A dragon shoots upwards through the clouds. Its head clearly visible, pointing straight up, the tail faintly disappearing in the darkness of the sky. Black ink on silk. Very skillful use of many shades of black and gray. Signed and dated in the lower left: Bunka year of the dog (1814), Fuyu and artist’s red seal Rintai.
Japan

Image: H 52.5 x W 20 in. Mounting: H 81.5 x W 25 in. (lower roller 27.25 in. wide)

Mounting in excellent condition, painting too.

All Items : Antiques : Regional Art : Asian : Japanese : Porcelain : Pre 1900 item #1427154 (stock #10622)
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Large porcelain charger decorated in underglaze blue with a map of Japan, as drawn in the Edo period. The map (Gyoji type) shows the main islands of Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, divided into the 63 provinces. The names of the provinces are written in kanji. Here and there a name of a city (i.e. Edo) is added.
The main islands of Japan are surrounded by several islands (names written partly or entirely in katakana) and real and imaginary countries, such as Choseon, the Ryukyus, the country of the small people and the country where women rule.
The sea is indicated by stylized waves. Around the islands are stylized clouds and on top and bottom fly crane-like birds.
Outside rim decorated with meandering flowering vines. Five spur marks. 6-mark seal within foot: Honcho Tenpo nensei.
Japan, Hizen, Mikawachi, 1830s-1840s or slightly later (but still Edo period).

Diameter 16 inches, H 2.25 inches (Diam. 40.6 cm, H 5.7 cm).

Condition excellent.