Long a symbol of longevity, good luck, and support in many parts of Asia; in Japan the turtle has the added symbolism of being one of the cardinal protectors of Heian, the ancient capital city of Kyoto. This rendition of a turtle basking on a sunny riverbank was done by one of the most renowned and loved Waka poets of the 19th century, Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875)...

Antique Japanese scroll painting of Buddha Amitābha also known simply as Amida Buddha. Here he stands with each foot on a lotus blossom, floating on swirling clouds against a black void as he descents. His hands are in vitarka mudra, also known as Raikō gesture of welcoming souls to Paradise (Jōdō or Sukhavati in Sanskrit). Amitābha (which means Infinite or Immeasurable light) is much loved for his gentle wisdom and his all accepting nature...

A hand painted piece of art of a plum tree, painted with ink on makuri paper with sign and seal of the artist - late Meiji Period.

I tried to find out the name of the artist, but it is difficult to read. The painting has a real nice and sensitive touch. It is hard to find similar items like this amazing one.

The condition is good - there is only some unimportant wrinkle and stain which gives the artwork that special touch of a unique piece of art.

Size: ca...

Antique Japanese fushima (sliding door panel). Painting with a crane and pine tree on a background of gold mist. Painted in mineral colors on a sugi (cryptomeria) wood panel and framed with black lacquered hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 68 1/4" high x 36 1/4" wide x 1 1/4" deep

Antique Japanese hanging silk scroll from the 19th century, Meiji 1868-1912. There is a beautiful scene of a courtesan and pair of Kamuro order, attendants, walking under a blossoming cherry blossom tree. The screen is signed by Koryusai with seal. It measures 18.25" wide by 24.5" long.

Japanese 17th century 6-panel byobu screen painting depicting Sho Chiku Bai or the "Three Friends of Late Winter" namely the plum, the pine and the bamboo. Beautifully painted in mineral colors with gold leaf on paper. Size: 49 1/5" high x 115" long

A symbol of health and prosperity, these ripe eggplants were painted by Hasegawa Gyokuhou (1822 - 1879), a disciple of one of Kyoto’s leading Shijo school artists, Matsumara Keibun (1779 - 1843). The attached stylized calligraphic poem, which speaks of accomplishment and being productive in one’s endeavors, was done by one of Japan’s most renowned and loved waka poets of the 19th century—Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875)...

Japanese scrolled painting on silk by Kikuchi Yosai (1788-1878), also known as Kikuchi Takeyasu, depicting the sun rising behind Mount Horai. Signed in black ink at the lower left and with the artist's red Takeyasu seal below. A symbol for Japan, Mount Horai (Treasure Mountain) is a lofty mountain covered in pine, prunus, and bamboo on a mythical island of immortals in a distant sea...

A pair of Japanese Edo Period scroll paintings by the painter Sumiyoshi Hiroyuki (1755-1811) , one of a dragon in the clouds and another of a tiger in a bamboo thicket, skillfully painted in sumi ink on silk and signed by the artist. The painter, Hiroyuki was as disciple of the painter, Hiromori and a of successor of the Sumiyoshi School which worked primarily for the Shogunate of Edo Period...

This playful image of a Japanese raccoon dog (tanuki) enjoying a flask of saké was done by one of the most renowned and loved waka poets of the 19th century, Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875).

Born into a Samurai family but soon after adopted by the Ōtagaki family, from the age of seven to sixteen Rengetsu was a lady in waiting at Kameoka castle where she was trained in the arts and courtly graces...

A large sized hanging scroll of a landscape in the literati style by Okuhara Seikou (1837-1913). Seikou was one of the few female artists who specialized in the literati tradition (known as Bunjinga or sometimes associated with Nanga). An inscription can be found on the top left of the painting where a short Chinese poem is describing how the guests are approaching through the mists found among the hills of the landscape...

Antique Japanese small 6-panel screen painting for table top, painted with a scene of stream and flowers, painted in mineral colors on silver leaf, the silver has oxidized a beautiful dark color, Edo Period, 18th century. Size: 18" high x 50 1/2" long

A collaboration piece between the famed poet/ nun of the late Edo period Rengetsu and her younger protege Tessai, this scroll depicts a frightened cricket making his way to the top of a stalk of grass on a windy day. Set in the fall season, the viewer can imagine a message of frailty, loneliness, and possibly the feeling of trepidation that accompanies the turning of the seasons towards the colder months...

An antique pair of Japanese Fusuma doors made of Hinoki (Cypress) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. Natural Urushi lacquer frame and hand painted design of Bamboo trees on one side and Pine trees with Bamboo on the opposite side. Bamboo symbolized tenacity and perseverance while the Pine tree represented a long life making these doors auspicious and full of good luck.

Age: Meiji Period (1880-1890)

Dimensions: Each 35 1/2" Wide by 71 1/2" High.

A finely painted water colour , with gold leaf overlay, depicting a scene from the 11th Century classic "The Tale of Genji" written by noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu...

A finely painted water colour , with gold leaf overlay, depicting a scene from the 11th Century classic "The Tale of Genji" written by noblewoman and lady-in-waiting Murasaki Shikibu. This item was made in Japan in the 19th Century during either the late Edo or the Meiji period (1868-1911). Condition: there is very minor "foxing" to the paper which probably predates the framing of this picture during the 1920s or 1930s. Frame: 32.5cm (12.75 inches) wide; 29cm (11.4 inches) high...

Sessho was a student of the legendary Tani Buncho. His paintings were collected and much appreciated by Emperor Meiji. He painted this gorgeous flower painting in a deliberately straightforward manner in order to take focus away from his superior technique and have you consider only the beauty of the subject. Silk Canvas and Mount. Mount: 72 x 25 inches, 182.5 x 63 cm. Painting: 44 x 20 inches, 112 x 50.5 cm. cf. C.H...

Antique Japanese scroll painting of a mountain scene. A pagoda rises in the distance, behind it, a misty mountain range. In the foreground a small figure crosses a bridge. Signed by Kano Tsunenobu (1636-1713). Sumi ink on silk. Provenance Collection of Vlasheslav Batov, Illinois

Age: Edo Period (circa late 1600's to early 1700's)

Dimensions: Total: 51 1/4" high x 29 3/4" wide (32 1/2" wide including rollers). Size of art: 15 3/4" high x 25 1/2" wide.

Antique Japanese large painting of carp escaping a net, painted in mineral colors with raised gofun for net and gold details, painted on silk and framed without glass. Painter: Mr. Tensyo Matsunaga. Born in Gifu Prefecture 12th year of Meiji Period (1880). He mastered Maruyama School style of drawing such as flowers and birds under Mr. Gyokusho Kawabata. His carp drawings are excellent and highly prized. His paintings of carp have been purchased by the Royal Family. A small piece of pap...

Antique Japanese 4 panel shoji screen (sliding door panels) painted with wonderful scene of monkeys in a persimmon tree, painted in sumi ink and light colors on paper with clouds of gold leaf flecks, 4 monkeys are painted in tree, a mother monkey holds a baby and another monkey looks on at the base of the tree, a stream flows through rocks nearby, beautiful detail, Shijo School, Meiji Period. Total size: 115" long x 68" high Size of each separate panel: 28 3/4" wide x 68" high each.

Antique Japanese scroll painting of Kannon also known as Guanyin. The Goddess of Mercy sits on a rock overhanging a still body of water. She is silhouetted by the full moon. Painted in sumi-e ink on paper. There is a seal in the lower right hand side.

Age: Edo Period (1603-1867)

Dimensions: Total size of scroll: 70 1/2" high x 15 3/4" wide (18" wide including rollers). Size of art: 37 1/2" high x 11 1/2" wide

A hanging scroll (kakejiku) attributed to Kano Masunobu (1823-1880) entitled "take suzume" (Bamboo and Sparrow) with Kiri (paulownia wood) box. Kano Masunobu, also known as Toun, was a member of the Kano School of painters who excelled in ink paintings (occasionally with the addition of pale tints) of landscapes and birds. The school's founder, Kano Masunobu (1423-1530,) was attached to the court of Shogun Yoshimasa. Scroll dimensions: H.90cm(35.25") x W.43cm(17"). Silk-bordered area: H.37c...

Extremely rare and hard to find Edo Period c.1860 byobu screen in good condition and featuring tigers frolicing in bamboo. One of a pair most likely as the other six panel screen had the hanko. This screen has been repaired a long time ago and we challenge you to find the repairs. All and all, a museum piece that fits handsomely over a couch.

Antique Japanese scroll painting of a hawk standing on the branch of an oak tree. The hawk is detailed with great attention to every feather. Painted in sumi ink and light colors on paper. Signed Shunkei with seal, possibly Mori Shunkei (1775-1841).

Edo Period (Late 18th - Early 19th century)

Dimensions: Total 79" high x 27 1/4" wide (29 1/4" wide including ends) Art: 51 1/2" high x 21 1/2" wide

Ink and mineral pigments on silk

Interior of a fan maker’s shop with craftsmen at work, ca. late 1800s

Unsigned, very good color, good condition, small repair to backing on upper right margin, retaining a portion of its original silver mounting paper probably from being mounted as a framed panel.

Overall size: 13 x 17 ½ in.; image size: 10 ¾ x 16 ½ in.

Charming antique Japanese small 2-panel byobu (screen painting), painted with blossoming chrysanthemums in raised gofun, on right panel is a blue bird in flight, delicately painted with wonderful detail, mineral colors and gofun on paper with gold leaf ground, signed and seal by Yano Yoshitaka (1800-1858). Edo Period. Regarding the artist, records remain of his existence in the Higo Kumamoto Clan (Higo Hosokawa) official records. Yano Yoshitaka served as the clan's court painter during t...

"Yacchimatta!" the lost soul seems to say as he slaps himself on the head, a sake cup and Tokkuri wine flask in front of him. Ink on dark paper with patterned dark cloth boarder with wide gray piping and featuring bone rollers. The skeleton and or skull have long been featured in Japanese art, both secular and Buddhist. It is used as a symbol of impermanence and as a Zen teaching tool. In this case, perhaps this fellow spent too much time in the bottle and not enough in more meaningful endea...

This soulful image of a Japanese hamlet in the depths of winter was done by one of the most renowned and loved waka poets of the 19th century, Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875).

Born into a Samurai family but soon after adopted by the Ōtagaki family, from the age of seven to sixteen Rengetsu was a lady in waiting at Kameoka castle where she was trained in the arts and courtly graces. Due to her rumored great beauty, she soon married but after the death of her husband in 1823, ...

Antique Japanese scroll painting of a horse, done in sumi ink, its legs kicked up into the air. Very disciplined calligraphy brush work is used, and may have been executed by a Zen Buddhist monk. This horse painting was possibly cut down from a larger screen and mounted as a scroll.

18th century Edo period (1603-1868)

Size: 17.5" W x 52" H (entire scroll) 14.25" W x 20.75" H

Japanese scroll painting depicting a scene from the Genji Monogatari (Tale of Genji). A nobleman and a young man sit on tatame mats and look out onto a garden setting. They are surrounded by painted byobu screens and clouds of gold mist. The painting is rendered in traditional Tosa School manner with flattened over head perspective and fine lined brushwork. Painted in mineral colors, sumi ink and gold leaf flecks on paper. Edo Period. Size of scroll: 47" high x 19 1/2" wide. Size of pain...

Signifying strength and resilience, bamboo—together with pine and plum (sho chiku bai)—is an auspicious symbols running through the heart of Japanese art and culture. The young bamboo depicted here—sprouting from a patch of rocks—were composed by one of the most renowned and loved waka poets of the 19th century, Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875).

Rengetsu was born into a Samurai family but was soon after adopted by the Ōtagaki family. From the age of seven to sixteen s...

Japanese rare antique 3-panel screen painting of Raigo Zu: Amida Buddha in Raigo pose. The screen has three panels with the two outer panels half the width of the central panel so they open like shrine doors. A bronze butsudan latch keeps the doors closed. The screen opens to reveal a central panel with a large image of Amida Buddha painted in mineral colors and gold on silk and framed with silk brocade of golden clouds. The outer frame is lacquered red.

Age: Muromachi/Momoyama Per...

Japanese screen painting in two panels of butterflies and moths. The etherial quality of the fluttering creatures is conveyed by delicately painted details and movement. Painted in mineral colors on silk. Each rectangular silk composition has been mounted on a ground of gold leaf on paper. Seal mark on the left hand panel: Watanabe Kiyoshi.

Watanabe Kiyoshi (1778-1861) was born into a family specializing in embroidery in Nagoya. He studied painting in the Kano style under Yoshikawa...

New Arrival

Japanese antique small and charming scroll painting and poem by Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875). The image is of a small hut with a thatched roof. The poem translates as follows:
春鳥 春寒み 榾火にねぶる 山賤の 夢おどろかす うぐひすの声

cold spring day, a worker naps, by an outdoor fire,
his dreams i...

An Extremely Rare Reverse Glass Ukiyo-e Beauty Painting: Japan, 18th –early 19th C. with Original lacquered wood frame The artist name singned with a square red seal on lower right. Offered Here is an extremely rare reverse painting of a whole figure of standing beauty painted on reverse glass, This type of Japanese Ukiyo-e painting of a beauty is rarely existed in markets now. This beauty painted so elaborately with a Japanese traditional dress with a holding fan, and painted in colorfu...

Based on a classical tale adapted into a popular Kabuki performance in late Edo, the story of the Fuji Musume or “Wisteria Maiden” is an often employed motif in Japanese art. In the story, the Wisteria Maiden is depicted in a painting holding a wisteria branch, until one day she becomes smitten with a young man passing by and steps out of the painting in an effort to capture his attention. Unfortunately, her attempts are futile. Her love goes unrequited, and she sorrowfully steps back into ...