Antique Japanese Buddhist temple banner made of silk and woven with gold gilt paper weft (ginran or kinren) in a dynamic design of a pair of water dragons each facing the center where a burning pearl (woven with silver leaf) floats on a golden cloud. Dragons and pearls together in Buddhist art symbolize the endless cycle of transformation. The flaming pearl is one of the Eight Treasures and represents pure intentions as well as the sacred wish-granting pearl of the Buddhist faith...

Antique Japanese zushi (traveler's shrine) with double panel doors which open to reveal a standing figure of Jizo Bosatsu (O-Jizo-Sama). Jizo is the protector of travelers and firefighters as well as the guardian of the souls of all children. He stands on a lotus base with a Buddhist ring staff (shakujo) in his right hand and a jewel in his left. The doors of the shrine are painted with tennin, celestial beings on either side. Made of wood with lacquer and gold gilt...

Large and wide tray, in Japanese lacquer, black, gold and silver according to the techniques of hiramaki-e and takamaki-e. It offers a setting of two large rabbits in autumn grass looking at the sky, under a large silver crescent moon, on a black background. Length: 66cm x Width: 44cm. With a base. Japan Edo (1603-1868) 19th Century

A beautiful Japanese hand-embroidered silk wall hanging with a scene of two elegantly fighting roosters. Each one surrounded by nicely detailed dandelions and chrysanthemums. Forbidden stitch work used in the center of each flower. Pine tree branches overhang the scene with interesting fine detail. The bottom left is embroidered with a red jar bearing artist's signature.

Early Meiji Period (1868 - 1912)

Size: 70" H x 45" W

Japanese Satsuma ware footed vase with lobed mouth and squat lobed form, elaborately decorated all over with textile-like patterns in raised gold and colorful over glaze, five reserves with alternating scenes depicting Buddhist saints and samurai, exquisite details down to the individual features of each figure, Meiji Period c1900, a cartouche inscription on the bottom written Satsuma. The style of the calligraphy and the decoration appears similar to ones produced by Hotoda...

Antique Japanese choba tansu (merchant's chest) made of keyaki (elm) wood burl with heavy iron hardware. The upper most portion of the chest has a large full width drawer above a compartment with sliding panels. The middle of the tansu has a horizontal row of three small drawers. The bottom portion of the tansu has a series of three drawers stacked in a vertical row and held in place with a locking bar...

Japanese 17th/18th century scroll painting of a buddhist priest, outlined in a very rare style of incredibly tiny calligraphy mantra. The mantra repeats "Amida Butsu Nam Mo". The meditating priest holds a strand of mala beads and a willow branch and is seated upon a green lotus throne on clouds. The figure is most likely "Dengyo Daishi", the monk who brought Buddhism into Japan...

A pair of mounted panels painted with battle scenes from the Tales of Heike. One panel appears to take place during the battle at Dan no Ura. This painting of samurai contains the signature crest of the Heiki clan (the butterfly). The other panel is a portrait of the famous monk warrior, Benke, on horseback in the Shichi-henge form (where he carries many weapons)...

Japanese hirado ware porcelain figure of a puppy . The entire body is hand carved with realistic fur pattern, the body in white underglaze with the eyes left bare. The puppy's paws and toes are fully carved to the bottom of the piece, which is left bare from the white glaze. The bottom is pierced with an air hole from when it was originally fired in the kiln.

Meiji period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 7 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 5" H

Antique Japanese long tanegashima matchlock rifle with silver inlay of a water dragon in the clouds. Bronze hardware decorations including a fu-dog and chrysanthemum blossoms. A silver moku-ka mon in two places is that of the Oda clan, a daimyo family which was a strong political force in unifying Japan during the mid 16th century.

Guns were first introduced to Japan during the Sengoku era through the Portuguese in 1543...

Solid gold, silver, shibuichi and sentoku inlaid shakudo tsuba. The setting presents us with a Japanese warrior slaying an enemy wearing foreign armor that seems to be Chinese or even Mongol. This could be a reference to the attempted invasion of Japan by China Mongols in the 13th century. The tsuba bears the signature of Yoshiaki who was one of the greatest artists of his time...

Japanese six panel byobu (folding screen painting). Hand-painted with imagery of realistic swimming fish and flowers with gold flecks. Signed in stylized calligraphy with 2 red chops.

Late Meiji/Early Taisho Period

Dimensions: 109" L x 53.75" H

Antique Japanese studio ware porcelain vase, carved all over with a raised design of a dragon in swirling clouds over churning waves. The clouds are covered with a glaze that gradates from a deep blue at the top to a light blue where they meet the waves. Both the dragon and the waves are kept white with a very pale light pink glaze on the dragon's flames. A band of repeating lingzhi pattern in blue underglaze encircles the rim and foot of the vase...

A rare antique Ryobiraki Choba Tansu (merchant chest with hinged doors) made of Hinoki (Cypress) and Kirinoki (Paulownia) woods. All original thick gauged hand forged iron hardware. Shackle lock with working key secures the removable hinged doors that open to a pair of sliding doors and four drawers. A secret button unlatches the left hinged door to open...

Pair of stamped brass stirrups decorated with Hashizuka, Ito and Manabe Mon.

Japan - Edo (1615-1868), 18th century.
Height 10.24in - 26 cm
Length 12.6in - 32 cm
Width 4.72in - 12 cm

As in Western culture, the culture Japanese stirrups were part of traditional accessories used only by the nobility and the people belonging to the upper class. The stirrups were made in the most precious metal, they were intended to indicate the social status of the ow...

Exceptional antique Japanese large kannon biraki tansu (chest with hinged doors). Two stacking sections made all of kiri (paulownia) wood. This chest has unusually bold hardware made of iron with traces of red lacquer. Each of the two large doors on the upper portion is fitted with a large iron kiri mon (specifically Gosan-no-kiri-mon) During the Edo Period, this crest became a well established mon of the Japanese government where previously it was used only by the imperial family. The top s...

Rare Japanese kakiemon ware porcelain jar. Of a tapered melon shape, with circular floral enso motifs of bamboo, blossoming cherry branches, hydrangea, kiri leaves. The Imperial dragon and phoenix paired to represent the emperor and empress. With overglaze green, red, and blue on white bisque ground. The domed lid topped with karakusa (octopus vine) and kiri leaf pattern.

19th century

Dimensions : 7.5" W x 10" H

A rare antique Japanese Hangai Tansu (captain's business transaction chest) made of Keyaki Tamamoku (Zelkova Burl) and Kirinoki (Paulownia) woods. All original translucent Urushi lacquer with hand made bronze hardware. Security door with two side trick latches and a top lock and key that hides 6 interior drawers of varying sizes. The trick latches unlock by lifting the knob up and to the right for the left latch and up and to the left for the right latch. Unusual feature where the outer sides...