Sculpture of a seated old man with a pointy beard and long moustaches, possibly Takeshiuchi-no-Sukune. The old man is dressed in Chinese garment, his mouth set in a grimace, his right hand holding a thin mace, or a large, closed fan, his left hand just over his lap. On his head he wears a sort of cap with two horn-shaped protrusions at the front. Made of two pieces of wood (lower part of body and legs, torso from the waist up) joined by pegs, polychrome. The mace is a separate piece. Some material cracks and some pigments rubbed, otherwise very good condition. Height 17 inches. Japan, 19th century.
This is an excellent example of mingei. A comparable figure we have not been able to find in the literature.

Very unusual figure of a seated Kannon in his appearance with 11 faces and thousand arms. The eyes cast down, the main pair of hands held in prayer, a second pair in his lap, holding a cup. Polychrome wood, with some gold. Piece carved out of one piece of wood. Japan Meiji period. Height 18 inches. Some of the pigments somewhat rubbed, some material cracks, otherwise very good condition.
This is an excellent piece of mingei (folk art). Although the carving is rather crude, the face of Kannon has been delicately painted. Kannon is a very popular deity, but in spite of that the deity rarely appears in folk carvings.

Lion mask of simple shape. The head flattened, bushy eyebrows and wide, flat nose. Movable ears and whiskers and movable jaw with two rows of square teeth. Wood with red and black color. Height 6 ¾ inches, length 10 inches. Japan 19th century. Some traces of usage, very good condition.

This is a good example of folk art. Although the movable ears are seen in many pieces, the whiskers are usually fixed. Similar pieces, polychrome or in plain wood, are in the Brooklyn Museum and in the Montgomery collection.

Fine cylindrical tea bowl of beige-brown colored stoneware, covered with thin gray glaze with white drippings on the outside. Here and there the gray glaze is very thin, allowing the stoneware to shine through in a pinkish hue. Inside practically round shape, outside lightly faceted. Bottom outside left unglazed. Imprinted seal inside foot rim: Asahi. Japan 20th century. H 2 5/8; diam. 4 inches. Slight traces of usage, some very thin glaze cracks. Generally in good condition.

In one frame, on front and reverse, a set of twelve color prints with erotic scenes. Some colors, such as the white, added by hand. This set is a very luxurious edition, made with great care. Although the master is unknown, a lot of attention was paid to the details of each pair’s surroundings, in the tradition of the early shunga prints (e.g. Koryusai), but also of the late masters, such as Kunisada. Silk was used for prints that were kept in an album. In the 19th century these kind of paintings were typically sold in accordion type albums with 12 or 24 erotic scenes. Japan, Meiji period. Framed in two groups of six, mounted in passepartouts. Each print 9 x 7 ¼ inches, frame 32 x 26 ½ inches. Excellent condition.
Provenance: Ed Love collection.

Simple but very expressive sculpture of a perched hawk, the eyes turned upwards, cut out of the bamboo root. Brown stained bamboo, black lacquer on base and partly on the back. In the base the number or the year 1810 has been engraved. The pattern of the bamboo very cleverly integated into the pattern of the feathers. Good example of mingei, folk art. H 13 ½ inches. 19th century. Some material cracks. Beautiful patina, very good condition.

Japanese folk art, or mingei, was produced for the common people by the hand of unknown craftsmen. Mingei ranges from household objects to farm utensils to simple sculpture. The material used can be anything from wood to ceramic to textile. It is usually not signed.

The rakan sits with folded legs, his left hand resting on his bared belly, the right hand in a pointing gesture. His face shows a rather grim frontal expression that becomes soft, when seen from the side. Darkly patinated bronze with a few minor casting flaws. The index finger of his right hand missing. On the back a long engraved inscription including the name of the caster, the names of temples in Kyoto, the names of a layman and a nun and the date of 1807. Height 22.5 inches. Beautiful, expressive piece with good patina. On wooden base.

Jizo is standing, holding up his left hand in which he holds a jewel. His right hand is hanging down along his body. Soft wood with traces of black lacquer on gesso. On the bare wood Buddhist texts have been written in black ink. It would have been covered by the lacquer and hence would have been invisible. The black lacquer rubbed off for the larger part. Hand and feet cut separately. Height 19 inches. Japan 18th century. Some small, old chips. On plexi glass base.

Small sculpture of a bald headed man sitting in the manner of a rakan, his long garment hanging open at the chest. His face grim, the hands tucked away in the sleeves of his garment. Inscription in black ink on the bottom, giving the date of Bunsei 6 (1823) and indicating the maker as ‘made by the old man Kenko himself’. Boxwood, the eyes of reverse painted glass, possibly crystal. Japan. Very nice piece of mingei carving.
Height 6 inches (15 cm).
Beautiful patina, minimal worm damage on lower back and bottom, minimal traces of usage.

Hanging scroll of mandala with Kannon sitting on a rock, surrounded by two worshiping deities in front of him and by a guardian figure in the upper left corner. Beneath him the gods of thunder and wind and rain in the clouds. Below these, Chinese figures in a mountainous landscape, occupied by different activities. On top of the painting a printed text. Unfortunately we were not able to identify the mandala and thus the meaning. Ink and color on Chinese paper. 19th century, Japan.
50 ¼ x 21 inches.
Some missing areas in text, gold somewhat crackled, otherwise good condition. Paper mounting.

Simple wooden mask of shishi, or lion, with movable ears and jaw. The ears and eyebrows painted black. Behind the ears a row of small holes for the formerly implanted hairs. Mingei. All light wood, wooden joints. Japan, 19th century.
H 6 ½; D 9 ½ inches.
Nice patina, minor traces of usage: small chip at one of ears, short and unimportant crack in skull. All in all good condition.

Esoteric Buddhist scroll painting of the Mandala of the Two Worlds. On a background in the shape of a lotus petal striped with the colors red, blue, green, yellow (gold) and white that indicate the emanation of the mystic energies, two Dainichi have been depicted. The upper part represents the Diamond World. Dainichi sits on a lotus pedestal surrounded by 23 Sanskrit characters. He holds his hands in the chinken-in gesture and wears a jeweled headdress that includes the Five Wisdom Buddhas. The lower part of the painting represents the Womb World. Dainichi holds his hands in hokkai jo-in. Black ink, color and gold on paper. 18th century. 39 ¼ x 18 1/8 inches. Modern mounting. Some repairs, mainly backed cracks. Good condition.

Cast iron chagama, or water kettle used for the tea ceremony. Round form with two eyelets on the shoulder in the shape of stylized dragonheads, each holding a large ring in their mouths. Plain, roughened surface. Bronze lid with flower-shaped, open-worked knob. Nice green patina. Body cast iron. H 8 ¾ inches. Japan, 19th century. Very good condition. Beautiful deep brown patina on body. These kettles were put on an iron brazier filled with charcoal.

Cylindrical water jar with two squared handles and lid, as used for the tea ceremony. The knob on top of the lid is formed by two reishi mushrooms. Sand colored clay, covered with cream colored glaze with light brown rabbit’s fur patches. On this, in gold, green and blue enamels a decoration of a stream bordered with reeds and baskets filled with stones (fortification of the banks). Inside glazed. On the bottom a seal in blue and transparent enamel: Kutani Moriyama or Shôzan. H 7 ¼ inches, diameter 4 ¾ inches (with handles 5 ¾ inches). One handle repaired, hardly visible; two small chips at cover.

This type of decoration, as well as the color scheme is unusual for Kutani ware. Clay and enamels resemble those of Satsuma ware.

Painting depicting the Descent of Amida. In the middle Amida Buddha, to his right the bodhisattva Seishi and Jizo in his priest’s garment. On Amida’s left kneels Kannon. In this scene Buddha comes down to transport the newly deceased devotee to the Western Paradise. In his company one traditionally finds Seishi, who holds his hands in prayer, and Kannon, who holds the lotus for transporting the deceased to Paradise. Color and black ink on silk. Painted area 39 7/8 x 19 ¾ inches. 19th century. Contemporary mounting, needs a little restoration. Several small cracks in the paint, not in the silk, some unevenness in surface, otherwise good condition.