This antique Japanese small drawstring fisherman's bag is woven from hand rolled cording using indigenous natural plant fibers. It would be used for carrying home the catch at the end of day. The bag shows some areas of staining and one small area near the bottom where a few fiber cords have split. these condition areas are to be expected of a folk art item of this age and use. ,,,,,

the bag is roughly 10 x 12 inches and has a generous amount of cording for adjustable straps.

19th century boxwood netsuke representing a Noh theater mask of an oni (mischievous demon). Excellent quality carving, wonderful face with a hint of malice, beautiful stippling indicating hair of its eyebrows and chip, superb wear and patina. Height 1 3/4 inches.

Auspicious painting depicted Jyuseki, Bamboo, and Reishi sacred mushroom. Painted with ink and pigments on silk. Signed Shuseki and sealed. It is dated as in 1922.

Juseki is an abbreviation for landscape stone, which means a stone that is a scaled-down version of the natural scenery, a stone that resembles a certain shape, or an abstract stone that evokes intimacy and an elegant imagination that is difficult to describe...

Uma-gake (horse cover) made of hand-spun cotton and has hand-drawn tsutsugaki design whose motifs are hyotan (gourd), tassel and kanji letters. Letters can be either the place or horse's name. This colorful one was used for a festival or a ceremony. It has red cotton lining. In excellent condition. 19th century. 31.5cm x 2m36cm The last image is one hint how uma-gake was used from the woodblock print, ukiyo-e by Katsushika Hokusai (1760～1849).

Antique Japanese porcelain kogo (incense box). Round in form and flat on top. Glazed with a lovely crackled white ground and two blue butterflies, one on the lid and one on the side where the two pieces join. Signed "Taisuiken" on the inside of the lid. With original tomobako.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 4 3/8" wide x 1 1/2" high

An unusual Seto Tea Bowl, shaped like a flower in the upper area, with stunning glaze and a wonderful foot ring, made around 100 years ago during the Taisho Period (1912-1926).

It is in great condition with no chips or cracks - ready to use for the tea ceremony.

Ceramics produced in Seto City are known as Setomono (Seto ware), which has become a generic word for ceramics not only in Japan but also world-wide...

Antique Japanese nagamochi karuma storage trunk. Made of kiri (paulownia) wood and solid Keyaki hardwood wheels with iron hardware and mounts. A large high relief embossed iron locking plate in the form of a phoenix created a lock and latch system on the front of the trunk. The phoenix bird represents justice and Sun obedience...

Antique Japanese bronze temple bell, or "bonsho", with a handle of dragon heads called a ryuzu, protrusions called "chi chi" or "nyu" to improve resonance of sound, the "tsuki-za" striking panels, and the "mei-bun" inscription of the bell's history...

Antique Japanese scroll painting, in a Ukiyo-e style of a beautiful geisha woman reading a letter. Signed with unusual red enzo mark. Tomobako (storage box) is included.

Size: (entire scroll) 68" H x 14.5" W (artwork only) 36" H x 11" W

Superb 19th century netsuke of a multi-building palace / castle complex with trees, shrines and bridges with human figures, all on a minute scale. The bottom is carved with low relief landscape with scholar’s huts, a sail boat and distant mountains. Carved with supreme confidence and perfect precision, wonderful wear and patina. Viewed from the top, one of palaces exhibits a distinct cross on its roof - the netsuke may represent a hidden Christian reference...

Antique 19th century Meiji period Japanese Kutani porcelain incense burner Koro and cover, of compressed cylindrical body, with upright handles, resting on three feet, modeled in the form of stylised elephant heads. The front side decorated with delicately hand painted coloured enamel and gold, with a cartouche depicting the Japanese goddess of mercy, Kannon Bosatsu, amongst clouds flanked by cranes, the rear decorated with a cartouche enclosing birds in a flowering garden...

This is one of the more intriguing lacquer objects we have owned. Adorned with maki-e Aoe (hollyhock) Ka-mon on nashiji ground (also known as the Kamo Aoi as it was sacred to the Kamo shrine), family crest for prominent daimyo families including the Tokugawa and the Matsudaira during the Momoyama and Edo periods. Even the drawer pull is fashioned as an open worked shibuichi Aoe Ka-mon with the surprise of a textured, kinko (soft metal) raised backing only if you look for it...

Large two-door shrine holding inside the figure of Kujaku Myoo sitting on a lutus dais on the back of a peacock. Kujaku means peacock and is revered for transmuting the "poisons" of greed and anger and for eliminating karmic hindrances. The peacock (in India) eats poisonous plants and snakes and is thus thought to guard against evils from poisoning or calamity. Kujaku has four arms, holding a pomegranate, peacock feather, and either a lotus flower or a Buddha-fruit (one attribute is missing)...

Japanese antique hina dolls (ningyo), the muscician dolls from the late Edo period (1603-1868). All five dolls have dimples on their cheeks; one doll in the center is carrying an inro (medicine case) and another has a pouch on her back of the belt area -- shown in the last photo...

18th Century Japanese Wood Carving of a Mythological Guardian Shishi and Peony. This carving is reminiscent of a carving at Nikko Shrine. It is unusual to find one with much of its paint still intact. Wonderfully carved and painted by a master. A fantastic addition for a collector. 31 inches (79 cm) long x 17.5 inches (44.5 cm) high. Excellent Condition. From a prominent and widely exhibited collection.

Antique Japanese horse saddle cover, made of tsutsugaki (paste resist died cotton), fan and tassel motif in red and indigo, large Kashiwa (oak leaf) mons on either side.

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Size: 27 1/2" wide x 45" long.

Beautiful old Japanese woven silk uchikake gown in new condition. The size of this gown is small (much shorter) and light in weight. We are not sure how gowns in this style were worn but our humble guess would be that they were either made into jackets for upper class women (style is similar to kosode from late Edo period), Noh custumes or wedding gowns (though the sleeves are short). Subtle but beautiful, will make a great wall decoration...

Antique Japanese Funa Tansu (ship safe chest) made from beautiful Kuri (Chestnut) wood. It has two front sliding panels with an iron lock in its center, and two handles incised auspicious designs. The interior is shelved with a side locking drawer, accented with red lacquer. Three drawers run along the bottom of the chest with squared kakute style iron handles. Size: 22 3/4" high x 26 1/2" wide x 17 3/4" deep.