Antique Japanese rectangular bronze censor with four legs. The lid has a pierced floral motif and a fu-dog finial. The body of the censor has dragons for handles and is encircled with a scrolling key fret motif. The front has a highly raised makara-like elephant-headed water serpent while the back has a raised peacock. The bottom has a six character mark.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 12 1/2" high x 9" long x 7" wide

Antique Japanese Bronze Dragon and Phoenix Pedestal Stand, beautifully modeled and unusual with dragon encircling diameter of the neck with the phoenix above him. key lappet border at base. Good overall condition. Some wear to finish on top.

Size: 31"H x 10.75" Diameter at top and 12.5" Diameter at base.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912), circa 1900

The censer in the form of a woven basket with a domed open-work lid, suitable for the transportation of avian livestock especially the Gallus domesticus. The base with the mark Seimin chu (cast). Meiji period.

The censer comes with the original box with inscriptions on the lid and front panel, alongside a paper label.

Approximately 6.7 cm by 6.7 cm, 9 cm high. Perfect condition with only a little wear to the patina from use. This is exaggerated by my lighting...

Antique Japanese rectangular bronze letter box. Decorated with a highly raised design of Benten, the Goddess of knowledge, music and eloquence. She is standing on a water dragon who looks up at her admiringly. With a plectrum in one hand, she plays her biwa. Waves churn around Benten and her dragon. The sides of the box are decorated with raised waves and remnants of gilding. The interior of the box is lined with wood...

Lovely Gilt bronze incensor with raised chrysanthemum flowers and tripod feet in the form of chrysanthemum leaves. Reticulated cover for smoke. On the bottom is the incised signature of Kо̄sai Sano 佐野宏采, a favorite artisan of Emperor Hirohito's. Age: Early 20th century

Size: 6"H x 4" Diameter

An antique Japanese bronze temple bell called Bonsho with a handle depicting diverging dragon heads called Ryuzu, protrusions called chi chi or nye to improve resonance of sound, two opposing Tsuki-za striking panels and a Mei-bun inscription of the bell's history. Bonshō (Japanese: 梵鐘, Buddhist bells), also known as tsurigane (釣り鐘, hanging bells) or ōgane (大鐘, great bells) are large bells found in Buddhist temples throughout Japan, used to summon the monks to prayer and to de...

Three turtles bronze incense burner.

In Japan, the turtle (kame) is considered a symbol of wisdom, stability and luck. Tradition has it that it brings protection and 10,000 years of happiness because of its longevity and the slowness of its movements. In the Taoist belief, the turtle symbolizes the world: its shell represents the sky, while its body represents the earth.
The use of incense was introduced in Japan at the same time as Buddhism...

Length: 6 cm (2.4 in)
Height: 2.8 cm (1.1 in)
Width: 4.5 cm (1.6 in)

Fine Japanese Komai mixed metal box; solidly constructed; Egyptian themed decoration throughout; Fuji mark to the base; gilded interior; good condition

Japanese bronze brown patinated representing a hare laying on a crescent moon.

Japan – Showa (1912-1926)
Height: 11 cm – 4,3 inches

The Hare is a very beloved animal in Japan. Each year, on the 15th day of the 8th month of the moon calendar, Japanese are celebrating “Tskukumi”, a party paying tribute to the hare of a tale.
A God decided to get down on earth as a starved man...

Incense burner in chiseled bronze with brown patina in the shape of a rounded gourd, decorated with long branched stems fitted with carved branch tendrils, gourd leaves, flowers and shoots.
The calabash is a plant native to the tropical regions of Africa and Asia...

Antique Japanese bronze usubata (container for ikebana flower arranging). Charming bronze frog with bumpy skin except for his belly and under chin which are smooth. Out of his mouth comes the stem of the water container portion of the usubata. Inside the inverted conical container is a rounded form with ridges for holding flowers and branches in place...

Pair of solid cast mixed metal buttons representing different means of Japanese locomotion from the late 19th century. They are made of silver and shakudo inlaid with gold sentoku and silver. Some small details are in solid gold (dresses, petals, barriers) others are in gilded copper. The silver faces and hands are a bit worn as shown in the pictures. Real little jewels. Very nice quality work...

Length: 9.6 cm (3.8 in)
Height: 3.2 cm (1.3 in)
Width: 7.9 cm (3.2 in)
Weight: 320 gms

Japanese Komai style box featuring an inlaid gold peacock; inlaid birds and wind effect to the sides; gilded interior tarnished; minor marks; signed; good condition

Okimono sculpture in bronze of a crow perched on a tree stump in varnished wood. Its eyes are in shakudo.
In Japan, the crow (karasu) is a symbol of gratitude and family love. It is also considered as the divine messenger of good omen. The Kojiki (713) relates that the crow Yatagarasu guided the mythical founder of Japan, Emperor Jinmu (660-585 BC), on a military campaign to Yamato.

Signed under the crow within an oval cartouche 義光, Yoshimitsu...

Antique Japanese large bronze sculpture of a hawk perched on a gnarled pine branch with wings extended. Beautiful and dramatic with lovely attention to detail. In two sections.

Age: Taisho Period (1912-1925)

Dimensions: 25 1/2" high x 22" wide x 12" deep.

An antique Japanese hibachi (brazier) cast in bronze and hand crafted with a dragon and thunder bolts flying amidst the stormy clouds on one side and a crouching tiger with its playful partner hanging from a bamboo limb in a forest of bamboo on the opposing side. The handles feature converging phoenix birds with their tails as the apex...

Kohai, a halo made of metal (copper). Very little bit of gold plate is left. 19th century. L:38.5cm, W:13cm

Bronze sculpture of a giraffe beetle (Prosopocoilus girafa). The top of the abdomen is raised, revealing a perfume burner. The lucanus, in Japanese kuwagata mushi, is highly valued for its playfulness and aesthetic value.
Insects (mushi) have a very important place in Japanese culture. Insect hunting is a popular pastime, especially among children. Using nets and cages, they catch cicadas, beetles and other insects to observe them. Mushi can indeed be seen as familiar animals, playing a ro...

Peacock in cast bronze and partially gilded shakudo in 2 shades of gold. Japanese work in the style of Miyao around 1900. No signature. Hardwood and boxwood plinth.Good condition, no welding and original patina. Very slight wear, insignificant for a century-old object. The body of the peacock is raven wing black which suggests that it is in shakudo which represented a significant additional cost, the shakudo alloy being obtained by adding gold to copper. Total height about 16cm.

Golden patinated bronze representing a lying crane with its baby bird on its back.

The Japanese crane is also known as tanshozuru (丹頂鶴) which mean “red crowned crane”. It is known to be standing for longevity since the tale told this animal to be 100 years old. The crane is omnipresent in Japanese culture, mostly in the tales of “Tsuru no Ongaeshi” and “Tsuru Nyobo".

Furthermore, if you fold and bound a thousand crane of a paper to each other throughout ...

Frog on a water lily and a lotus root at the base. The whole is in bronze with a dark brown patina.

In the Japanese bestiary, the frog has a special place, carrying positive values. Both the frog and the toad, called kaeru, come back every year, no matter how far away they are from the pond where they were born. The word Kaeru is a synonym for "coming home". It is the protective animal for travelers and the symbol of hospitality. Its effigy is present on door hammers or gongs placed...

Funny brown-patinated bronze featuring a mouse standing on its hind legs on a squash.

Japan – Meiji (1868-1912)

Height : 14 cm (5.51 in) - Length : 24 cm (9.45 in) – Width : 8 cm (3.15 in)

Tall dark bronze vase decorated with a bas-relief depicting irises (hanashobu) ; the rim with an openwork border with maji-motive.

Bottom marks : Kakuha-Sei, the mark of Sano Takachika, Kakuha Kanzaemon IX (角羽勘左衛門 - active early Meiji period). In 1869 he started a bronze-ware business in Yokohama.

Japan – Meiji (1868-1912)

Height: 15.7 in. (40 cm) – Diameter: 7.9 in. (20 cm)
Netherlands Private Collection

An antique Japanese bronze Buddhist temple bell called Bonsho with a carrying handle depicting diverging dragon heads called Ryuzu. The upper protrusions called Chi or Nyu improves the resonance of the sound when struck. Two opposing striking panels called Tsuki-za is the point on the bell where the best and longest sound is achieved. A bell of this size was hung in a small temple to summon the monks to prayer.

Age: Edo Period (1800-1850)

Dimensions: 17 1/2" High by 11" Diamete...

An antique Japanese 2 part Usubata in bronze featuring a Minogame (age old turtle) base. Mounted to the shell is a flanged cloud rendering with four terminating columns that undulates to a removable wide rim water receptacle. Artist signed at the base of the receptacle. Beautiful craftsmanship including the fine stimple work to the underside of the turtle.

In Japan, the turtle is a good luck animal symbolizing 10,000 years of long life. It is considered the chief amongst all shelled c...

Antique Japanese bronze bowl in the form of a large, round lotus leaf. The bowl is raised on it's coiling lotus stem and another unfurled leaf. A tiny frog perches on the edge of the bowl.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 4 1/2" high x 8" wide

A Japanese impressive brown patinated bronze incense burner with shades, depicting a Shishi standing in a garden of flowers with its mouth open, holding a sphere (koro) with its paws. Rectangular base with engraved band supported by four wavy feet. Made up of three pieces: the base, the Shishi and the sphere. Komainu 狛犬 or Shi Shi dogs are more commonly found as pairs of guardians at the entrance to Buddhist temples and shrines in Japan, usually one with its mouth open and the other...

Black-patina bronze hare standing on its four legs.

There is only one Japanese word for both hare and rabbit : usagi. Hares hold an important place in Japanese myths and superstitions. As many other animals, they were believed to reach a fabulous age and become blue at five hundred.

Japan - Meiji Era (1868-1912) Height : 4.9 in. (12.5 cm) - width : 2.8 in. (7 cm) - depth : 4.5 in. (11.5 cm)

Antique Japanese bronze shokudai (candle stick for a Buddhist shrine) in the form of a crane standing on a turtle's back. In it's beak, the crane holds a lotus stem with blossoms, buds and unfurling leaves. The different aspects of a lotus symbolize the stages of the Buddha's life. The crane and turtle together symbolize longevity as well as the opposites of Heaven and Earth. This shokudai has especially intricate details.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 15 1/...

Antique Japanese group of 3 bronze vases. The smallest is gourd shaped, the medium vase has an hourglass shape and the tallest vase has a long neck, a round base and a reddish finish.

Age: Taisho Period (early 20th century)

Dimensions: 9 3/4" high, 11" high, and 12 1/4" high

Length: 10.2 cm (4.1 in)
Height: 4.1 cm (1.7 in)
Depth: 8.1 cm (3.3 in)
Weight: 400 gms

Fine Japanese Komai-style box; depicts temples and other structures in rural settings; inlaid gold decoration; Fuji mark and 24 K marks to the base

High level Antique Japanese bronze vase with a water dragon coiled revealing itself around foliated neck. The vase has a squat body and elongated, fluted neck with open foliated mouth, revealing excellent original condition and beautiful patina. Dramatic lifelike waves crash on the vases shoulders just below the dragon, spraying outward. Highly detailed and signed.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 14 1/2" high x 8 1/4" wide

Keman in cut, chiselled and gilded copper alloy détails in shakudo. The keman were suspended from the ceilings of the temples and replaced the baskets of real flowers. This model already existed in the 13th century at the time of Kamakura. It is therefore difficult to date them, I think this one is Japan Edo period. The inscription in Chinese characters should give us a precise date. Good condition, gilding a little worn. 44cm x 31cm.

An exquisite dark bronze image of the deity Benzaiten playing a four stringed lute known as a Biwa signed in a cartouche inset into the base and dating from the early 20th century (Later Meiji to taisho period). The figure is 20 x 16 x 18 cm (8 x 6 x 7 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Benzaiten (or Benten) is the Japanese embodiment of Saraswati, the hindu god of the arts. Benzaiten is depicted a number of ways in Japanese art. She is often depicted holding a biwa (a traditional ...

A beautifuly formed iron sake kettle known as a Choshi with a solid silver lid and featuring sliver inlay designs on the handle enclosed in an age darkened kiri-wood bos titled Tetsu Choshi Jungin-futa. It is 8 cm (just over 3 inches) diameter, 16 cm (6 inches) to the top of the handle, and is in excellent condition.

Cigarette holder that can be used as a card holder in steel inlaid with gold and silver. The technique used is that of damascene (nunome zogan) in the style of Komeï. Japanese work around 1900. On the front are represented in gold a temple and a pagoda dominating a lake landscape; on the back is Mount Fuji dominating a lake. In the foreground an amusing retail fishing boat, indeed a tiny bird is perched at the top of the mast, probably a cormorant which would confirm the function of the boat. E...