A river runs past deeply forested hills populated by rooftops in this naïve ink painting reflecting the charm of rural Japan by Shirakura Niho. Ink on paper mounted in a green cloth border extended with beige featuring Shunkei nuri lacquered wooden rollers which would instantly call to mind the mountain village of Takayama, home of the Shunkei style. It is 52.5 x 116.5 cm (20-1/2 x 46 inches) and comes in the original signed wooden box titled Satoyama Fukei (Mountain Village Scenery)...

Japanese Edo period woodblock print by Toyohara Kunichika (1835-1900) depicting a street scene in the Yoshiwara at dawn with two cats playing at the lower right. The print is the right panel of a triptych titled "That Romantic Figure (referring to Prince Genji) in the Licensed Quarter at Dawn" (aka "A Related Dawn at the Pleasure Quarter") published by Hiranoya Shinzo in 1863. The print is signed at the lower right "Itto Kunichika ga" and bears the Hori Ota Tashichi carver's seal...

1900's Japanese Silver Repousse Drum Shaped Box with Chrysanthemum Jungin Konoike zo (of Yokohama)

It is 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) tall by 3.2 inches (8.2 cm) wide. It is 179.8 gram.

It is tarnished and has dent, surface wears and scratches (as seen in the photos).

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Antique Japanese lacquer inro. Comes apart into five separate areas for storage. Black lacquer with gold hiromakie boat design, signed Harumasa inside and Hiramoto Katano underneath, nashiji interior. Condition excellent. Meiji Period Dimensions: 3 1/2" High X 2 1/4" Wide X 1" Deep

Very unusual 19th century netsuke representing a bird in flight. It may be a swallow, but I am not sure. Wonderful spirited carving capturing the essence of the creature with its swiftness, beautiful face, eyes are double inlaid with horn, excellent depiction of different feathers. Great wear and patina, old age lines. Length 2 1/4 inches.

This iron plaque is in a very good condition. Size: Approximately 2 inch (50mm)

An exquisite and exceptionally rare 19th century monochromatic transparent ruby red enamel over solid gold vase with the impressed seal of Namikawa Sosuke. Sosuke did very few transparent enamel vases; there is an example in the Khalili Collection done in purple on a silver body with silver mounts, it lacks the brilliance of this vase. Height: 7.5625"

Beautiful Japanese plique a jour cloisonne vase with an all over design of blossoming plum branches, lovely turquoise ground, no cracks, Meiji/Taisho Period (early 20th century). Size: 5 1/4" high.

An antique Japanese Kanazawa Mizuya Tansu (kitchen chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova), Hinoki (Cypress) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. In 2 sections with sliding doors and drawers, the bottom doors open to a spacious storage area with a removable shelf. The upper left sliding door pair reveal a permanent split level shelf while the right side doors and the top doors open to more storage space. Original Urushi lacquer and hand forged Hirute handles complete this elegant tansu...

Japanese antique cha tansu (tea chest), made with beautiful keyaki (elm) wood burl on panels, top 2 sliding panels are made of a lighter color hardwood burl, all panels are trimmed in persimmon wood. One drop in panel with an interesting walnut shaped pull. The chest has a total of 7 drawers of different sizes. Glass sliding panels cover a compartment with stepped shelves for display. Copper slider pulls have little dragons. Meiji Period...

Small shrine holding the image of the Buddha Dainichi Nyorai, sitting on a lotus base, before a circular mandorla. Doors decorated on the inside with an exquisitely painted motif of star-shaped flowers. Wood decorated in mineral colors and gold. Very high quality. Thin metal for mandorla and crown. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
H of case ca. 5 inches.
Most of the crown missing, some traces of usage but all in all in excellent condition.

Late Meiji (1900s - 1910s) Japanese scroll painting in ink and colors on paper depicting 16 arhat - the original disciples of the historical Buddha - in different attitudes, most of them recognizable by their attributes. Excellent quality eccentric painting with wonderful half-mad faces, beautiful use of colors. Paper mounts, wooden scroll ends, in great condition. Exceptionally striking painting. Signed DOZO HIROKAMI FUDE (Treasury of Tao painted by Hirokami) followed red seal of the artist...

Lacquer kobako box with two compartments in the shape of a fan. Decorated with pine trees near a stream on all sides in takamaki-e, hiramaki-e techniques with a nashi-ji background. On the upper side, a couple of cranes are looking for food on the ground, while three baby cranes are waiting in the nest located in the pine tree. Interior in nashi-ji lacquer.

Japan - Edo period (1603-1868)

Height: 1.8 in...

A school of three finely shaded mackerel swim across a sea of mottled green on this 2.75 inch baluster form vase signed Ando Jubei. The upper rim is of copper, the lower silver.

An excellent piece with only the negligible pitting usual for the era.

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...

This is a humorous Japanese sake cup. The drinker would find that he has drunk from the face of Okame while others would see the other side of the cup with oni's (ogre) face and would have a laugh. All typical Japanese humor from the Meiji Period (1868-1912). 2 3/4 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall (slightly less) at the horn and jaw.

An antique pair of Japanese bronze garden temple lanterns with reticulated sides. Hinged door on each lantern allows access to the interior. Four feet allows placement on a stand or pedestal while a top loop allows each lantern to be hung.

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions of each: 16" High by 14 1/2" Square

An antique Japanese Bo Tansu (locking bar chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware and Urushi lacquer finish. Warabite style handles. Three full width drawers and bottom partial width drawer with hinged security door hiding 3 small drawers. Underneath bottom small drawer lies a secret area where important flat documents or valuables were hidden from plain sight...

A work so compositionally striking we chose it for the cover of the exhibition catalog by Shirakura Niho titled Baika Shoin Zu (The Plum Blossom Retreat). Pigment on silk in a silk border enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 55.5 x 127.5㎝ (21-3/4 x 50 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Shirakura Kinichiro (Kinro, Niho or Jiho, Kanyu, 1896-1974) was born the first son of lawyer and scholar Shirakura Shigeichi in Shibata city, Niigata. His father was a noted Kangakusha,...

Third son of the director of the Kano School of painting, Yasunobu was appointed head of the Kyoto branch at a young age after his father’s death. Meanwhile, his two older brothers went to Edo to take up prestigious positions painting for the Tokugawa Shogunate. In 1662 Yasunobu gained the honorific title of “Hogen,” and near the end of his life in his 70s he wrote a treatise on the art of painting that would server as a central doctrine for later generations of painters. Here we see a str...

From a large collection of Edo period Nabeshima and Hirado-ware, this intricately crafted incense burner in the shape of a lantern features two intertwined dragons dancing around the base. Various parts of the lantern are painted with clouds, dragons, and arabesque designs, making for a unique and impactful composition.

Hirado wares—alternately known as Mikawachi wares in some contexts—are known throughout Japan and also abroad for their high quality and fine craftsmanship that ...

This is boro sashiko noragi hanten textile at Meiji era (1868-1912). It is very nice touch of the indigo dye cotton. It is very charming. The indigo dye of hemp has adhered back. It is exactly a work of art. Size:94cm/37"x 86cm/33.9"

Antique Japanese matching Katana (long) and Wakazashi (short) swords, from the Shinto Period (1579-1763). Both swords have a beautiful dark brown patina on the tang with visible laminar construction on the blades. The blades have been fully polished and have paper work from the NBRHK in Japan. Each sword comes with a matching bag for protection. Wonderful details including side knives and menuki. The tsuba on the Wakizashi is shakudo. The Tsuba on the Katana is made of iron with beautiful mixed ...

19th century Satsuma ceramic vase with tear drop body and narrow neck with painted enamel decoration of a seated rakan (one of the 18 original disciples of the Buddha), his raised hand holding a bowl, Benten - the only female among the 7 Gods of Good Fortune - seated next to him, and an attendant boy with box of offerings kneeling between them. Extraordinary high quality detailed painting - see fine depiction of their faces and supremely fine rich clothes with numerous patterns. Raised gold deco...

19th century kagamibuta (“mirror lid”) netsuke with multimetal top and wooden bowl. The top is inlaid with an actor wearing a mask and holding an open fan in his hand seated next to an assembly of stacked shallow boxes. Superb quality work with silver and gold inlays, excellent depiction of different designs on his robe and boxes, in great condition. The box is made of shakudo (an alloy of copper and gold) with its characteristic black patina resembling lacquer). Signed SEISEI MINGYOKU follo...

Late Meiji period (1890s to 1912) Japanese turtle shell kushi (hair comb) with gold and silver lacquer decoration of low flower plants among vaporous golden clouds, design continuing over the ridge onto the other side. Exceptionally well made, excellent lacquering, wonderful work in Japanese taste, some wear and insect damage as can be seen on photos. Length 3.43 inches.

Japanese antique large 3 piece cha display tansu, ornately carved all over with birds and flowers and with deep blue lacquer panels decorated with bone inlaid scenes of a maiden with two children as well as more birds and flowers on other panels. The upper portion of the tansu has two cabinet doors on either side of a compartment with two sliding panels. In the middle section of the chest are six shelves of different sizes which are staggered at different intervals for display. To the lower...

Sparrows in the wisteria trellis. Beautiful old calligraphy are also depicted. Painted with ink and pigments on paper. The artist is unknown. Circa 19th C.

Some insignificant light marks, traces of crease that has been restored on the back, and foxing are present on the painting, otherwise the painting is in very good condition for the age. Some light marks, traces of damage that have been restored, light crease are present on the mounting, otherwise the piece has been simply restored and ...

Hard porcelain vase created by tominaga genroku (1860-1920). Decorated with peonies painted underglaze in a classic cobalt blue, yellow, green and pink enameled details. Elegant shape, well-designed flowers, harmonious colors. Classic model typical of this period. The Ureshino kilns located in kyushu produced this type of porcelain from the end of the 19th century.Peonies are a symbol of immortality. A crack in the neck. Cobalt blue mark painted below: Made by Tominaga Genroku Height 31cm.

A good Arita sometsuke style dish probably from one of the favoured inner set of kilns at Arita, the so-called Uchiyama kilns. The dish is decorated with a border of stylised waves, painted in reverse style, with a single branch of a Camelia Tree in the centre. The underside of the dish decorated with a pair of sketchily painted Gourd vines. For an identical dish see no 216 of the Shibata Collection Part II at page 87. There dated circa 1660-80. The dish measures approximately 18.1 cm in diam...

Very Rare early 20th Century Anatomically Correct Pair of Clay and Gofun Nude Figures in a Bath House Hakata Ningyô. Male: 6.5 inches (16.5cm), Female: 6 inches (15cm).

A large deep bowl with bulls eye base decorated with a Kraak fuyo-de style pattern to the interior and exterior with the central mikomi decorated within a classic Chinese landscape with the figure of the Chinese poet Lin Bu contemplating a small gnarled tree, presumably a Mountain plum, upon a rocky outcrop. Alternatively the figure may represent Li Bai, if so he is gazing at a waterfall, not incorporated in the design, lying beyond the small tree. The bowl measures 28 cm or 11 inches in diam...

Beautiful Japanese 19th century gilt copper Keman with lotuses. This keman once hung from beams above the altar of a Japanese Buddhist temple. Traditionally, keman are decorated with floral designs originally derived from the use of flower garlands in temples in India. This keman has rare and very old blue glass beads and is remarkably intact. Translation writes that an honored donor named Demura Kojiro presented to temple in city of Wakayama in January Meiji 23 (c1890). It is tastefully susp...

Stemming from the philosophy of wabi-sabi—often described as the beauty found in the imperfection and transience of the world—cracks and repairs in a work of pottery are often seen as highlighting the history and importance of a ceramic object. Practitioners of tea in particular are fond of reminding us that works repaired with lacquer and gold such as the one featured here become more resilient and beautiful for having been damaged. In this case, the gold repairs undoubtedly enhance the bea...

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage) chest made of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original bronze hardware. Pair of sliding doors behind which is a split level shelf. Five drawers of varying sizes used for organizing and spacious storage. Constructed with straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails.

Age: Early Taisho (1912-1920)

Dimensions: 23 3/4" Wide by 18 3/4" High by 11 3/4" Deep

An attractive and rare group of rootwood ducks. Partly carved from the natural root with the legs attached. The gander with a natural stone around which the root has grown. Meiji, ca. 1850. Size: . H 15 cm, H 12,5 cm., H 10 cm . Condition: Excellent and with great age patina.