19th century staghorn ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) carved in a shape of a man’s face, his mouth open in an incredibly wide yawn. Good design, nice patina on the surface, natural imperfections in staghorn, in excellent condition. Height 11/16 inches. Wooden stand used for photography is not included.

19th century netsuke depicting sitting Ashinaga (long legs) wearing European jacket and tiger skin pants. In Japanese legends he is often accompanied by Tenaga (long arms) whom he puts on his back and goes fishing. Very nice work, pleasant wear and patina turning honey color on the back where netsuke was touching the silk of kimono. Height 1 1/2 inches.

19th century Japanese small lacquered wood netsuke representing a theatrical mask of a demon sticking out its tongue. Excellent intense face, crisp detailing, nicely lacquered, great patina, some wear to the surface. Signed RYUUN on the back bar - the artist is listed in NETSUKE MASKS by Raymond Bushell, p. 175, signatures 241-243. Height 1.23 inches.

19th century netsuke carved out of kurumi (natural walnut shell) with two panels depicting, respectively, 4 and 3 scholars around a low table heating up wine and food by the rocks under pine branches and moon among wispy clouds. Full moon and chrysanthemum design surrounding one himotoshi suggest otsukimi - a moon viewing party - traditionally held in September. Fabulous clever crisp carving, well captured quiet mood of the scenes, precisely carved diaper ground...

19th century Japanese small lacquered wood netsuke representing a theatrical mask of Chu-Beshimi. Crisp detailing, nicely lacquered, great patina. some wear to the surface. Signed RYUUN on the back bar - the artist is listed in NETSUKE MASKS by Raymond Bushell, p. 175, signatures 241-243. Height 1.1 inches.

19th century netsuke of a toad, a snake and a slug on rockery with bamboo grass. The subject of the netsuke is sansukumi: a combination of a snake, which eats a toad, which eats a slug, whose slime is poisonous to a snake - thus forming the circle of deaths. Beautiful rendition of textures - the skin of toad and snake, bamboo and rock surfaces. Warm patina and very pleasant wear to the surface, himotoshi (cord openings) are very cleverly carved as irregular holes in the rock...

19th century glass ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) in barrel form with transparent bottle green body and off-white to pink design of cresting waves. Beautiful surface, very pleasant patina, large central hole. Height 3/4 inches.

19th century wooden netsuke of Shoki (Demon Queller) seated on a table with one foot dangling and a sword on a table behind his back, while a terrified oni (little mischievous demon) is hiding under the table looking for a way to escape. Wonderful quality carving - see their great faces, hair and clothing. Nice wear consistent with age, fantastic warm patina. Cursively signed TOKUSAI on the bottom - the artist is listed on p...

19th century Japanese bronze mae-kanagu (tobacco pouch clasp fitting) depicting a barrel maker working on a large barrel. Wonderful design with dynamic posture, superb crisp detailing, comes with original backing. Signed RYUMIN on a gilded strip hanging off a nearby tree. For information on this pupil of Tenmin see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, p. 895. Length 1 11/16 inches

Rather unusual 19th century Japanese bronze scroll weight cast in a form of a two-horned chimera with a long tail standing in alert attitude on a base in a form of a tiny island surrounded by a gentle stream. Can serve as a brush rest as well. Superb elegant modeling of the beast with its thin limbs and slightly upturned face, wonderful patination ranging in color from dark red to brown to black, in excellent condition, pleasantly heavy...

19th century wooden netsuke in manju (rice cake) shape carved on the front in low relief with a woman holding in her mouth an object that looks like a hammer striker for a musical instrument, a cloth wrapped top of a biwa (Japanese lute) in her hand and a scaly body of a dragon on her right. The woman is Benten - the Goddess of learning, speech and music - and one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, and the netsuke can be interpreted as a wish for scholarly achievements...

Length: 4.5cm (1.7 in)
Height: 2.6cm (1.1 in)

Japanese wooden netsuke of two aubergines; excellent condition

Late 19th century netsuke of four blind men fighting, characteristic bumps on their heads. Excellent carving with a lot of detailing, superb faces, subtly incised textile patterns, very pleasant patina. Height 1.46 inches.

Authentic Antique Japanese Edo Period (1600-1868 A.D) Wedding Bronze Mirror Kagami

The mirror is of a design typical of the sixteenth century incorporating a large calligraphic Japanese characters two Cranes, sotsuru, conjoined at the beak with a tortoise kame-gata form central pierced boss in a “Y” shaped formation In addition there is a set of three stylized flowers, karahana mon...

Height: 4.2 cm (1.6 in)
Width: 4.5 cm (1.7 in)

This wooden netsuke, depicting a samurai's war helmut (Jingasa), is made from a dark heavy wood and has an aged patina. The piece is in excellent condition with only a couple of age lines present.

19th century netsuke of an octopus wearing a jacket and towering over a monkey seated on an abalone shell. Unusual subject - normally they are wrestling, but here it does not seem to be the case - the monkey is smiling. Superbly carved, excellent faces, wonderful detailing - see the coat of the monkey and abalone texture. Eyes of the octopus are inlaid with black horn. Beautiful wear and patina consistent with age, turning yellow on the back...

19th century wooden netsuke depicting standing Hotei (one of the 7 Gods of Good Luck, also considered to be the incarnation of Maitreya - the Buddha of the future) with a peach in one hand, and the other hand resting on his voluminous belly. Nice quality carving - see his face with a slight smile and beautiful flow of his long robe. Wonderful wear and patina, very pleasant feel of age. Signed SHIGEKAZU on the back - the artist is listed on p...

19th century netsuke in kagamibuta (“mirror lid”) with cinnabar lacquer top carved with the character FUKU (fortune) among peony flowers. Essentially the netsuke is a wish for wealth. Very nice work, beautiful patina, compressed dust in crevices, nice old wooden bowl, with rotating peg that serves as himotoshi. Bowl diameter 1.72 inches.

19th century netsuke in manju (rice cake) form carved in raised relief with a huge sake jar and a shojo leaning on its elbows as it reads a book, the back with a sunken relief carving of a ladle and a sake cup. Shojo are mythical creatures living near the sea, and are particularly fond of sake. Excellent face and lines of the robe, finely incised textile patterns and dripping glaze lines on the jar...

19th century boxwood netsuke of a reclining deer with its head turned back, hooves bent beneath its body. Perfectly captured moment, wonderful sense of volume, excellent texture of its coat, beautiful patina. Length 1 3/4 inches.

19th century Japanese good size angel skin coral obidome (sash ornament) in a shape of a natural coral branch. Obidome is worn on an obi cord that holds the obi sash together, and is the only type of jewelry worn by Japanese women on formal occasions. Simple clever design, very beautiful fat natural coral branch with subtle light pink areas. Metal fixture with cutouts in cherry petal shapes and two loops on the back for an obi cord. Length 1 3/4 inches.

Length: 3.7 cm (1.4 in)
Width: 3.1 cm (1.2 in)
Height: 2.4 cm (0.9 in)

This finely-carved, wooden netsuke depicts a basket of lotus florals. The himotoshi are carved in an interesting fashion on the underside. This piece is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks or restoration.

Height: 3.5 cm (1.3 in)
Width: 3 cm (1.2 in)
Depth: 3.7 cm (1.6 in)

Fine example of the work of Gyokkei; a stone lifter, masseur or a man attempting to lift his distended scrotum?; a tumour is also present on the back of his head; the poor fellow also has a wall-eye; signed on an inlaid tablet; good condition

19th century lacquered wood netsuke of a standing boy wearing in shishi head piece and beating a drum with strikers. Wood is lacquered in Negoro style - red lacquer over black, so as it wears the black and later wood start showing. Very well carved, excellent detailing - see the ferocious mask, old loss to the tip of the left ear, beautiful patina. Does not stand on its own, but hangs well. Height 2 inches.

19th century marine material netsuke of Hotei seated leaning on his bag , a boy in straw hat touching the sizeable belly of the monk. Hotei was supposedly a historical figure - a 10th century Chinese monk, who was very kind to children, and is worshipped as one of the 7 Gods of Good Fortune. Nicely carved, pleasant patina. Signed TOSHIKAZU on the bottom - the artist is listed in NETSUKE by Neil Davey (p. 543, number 3046). Length 2 inches.

Height: 3.8 cm (1.4 in)
Width: 5.1 cm (2.1 in)
Depth: 2.3 cm (0.9 in)

Antler bone netsuke of sea life; carved from the base of an antler; good condition

19th century netsuke of a swan (cygnet), its shape compact, neck bent back and head resting on its body, looking forward and up. Elegant clever design capturing the essence of the creature. Superbly modeled, eyes inlaid with black horn. Excellent wear and patina, old stable age lines, compressed dust on the surface, extremely pleasant to handle. Formerly in the Raymond Bushell collection, illustrated in NETSUKE FAMILIAR AND UNFAMILIAR, p. 208, number 641. Length 1 1/2 inches.

19th century staghorn ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) carved as a dog seated on its haunches, its front paws at its chest and wearing a collar. Excellent clever carving, great face, eyes are highlighted with ink, wonderful warm patina. Height 3/4 inches.

Late 19th century porcelain netsuke of an old woman Uba with a broom in her hand. Uba and her companion Jo are an elderly couple living as spirits in pine trees in Takasago. Wonderful expressive face with wrinkles and hollow cheeks, beautiful wear and patina. Looks like old smoothed losses to the back of her robe by the bottom. Height 2.73 inches.

19th century Asakusa school staghorn netsuke of obihasami type inlaid with metal tama (Precious Gem) and dots. The hooks at the top and bottom of the piece go around the edges of obi - a sash holding a kimono. Excellent clever piece typical of Asakusa school, warm patina, darker porous areas as is usual with staghorn. Metal appears to be silver. Length 4.19 inches (106.5 mm).

19th century boxwood netsuke of a boy playing with a puppy holding a length of rope, with the other end of it in the mouth of the puppy. Very good carving, great face, nice hairwork on the puppy and detailing of the clothes, wonderful wear and patina. Himotoshi (cord opening) goes through the back down to the bottom of the netsuke. Signed NAOKAZU on the bottom - for information on the artist see NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick, p. 821...

19th century netsuke carved as a group of 12 animals of the Oriental zodiac: dragon, horse, tiger, rat, rooster, dog, monkey, snake, goat, pig, buffalo and rabbit. Clever design, excellent carving to the last detail, deep undercutting, beautiful wear and patina...

19th century small marine material ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) carved in the round with four arhat - the original disciples of the Buddha identifiable by their halos - in different attitudes. Wonderful carving, excellent detailing, pleasant patina, in great condition. Signed GYOKUICHI on the side - the artist is listed on p. 424 of NETSUKE & INRO ARTISTS AND HOW TO READ THEIR SIGNATURES by George Lazarnick. Height 3/8 inches.

19th century kagamibuta (mirror lid) netsuke, the top being Chinese carving adopted as netsuke, with scene of 5 scholars among various trees and pavilions. Excellent quality work with deep undercarving, beautiful wear and patina, in great condition, dark hardwood bowl with old natural stable lines, peg at the back for the cord. Bowl diameter 1.76 inches.

This is a set of woman's tobacco case and pipe case which are made of deer skin and has fine katazome ( stencil-dyeing ) komon pattern. The motif is pine needle. It has beautiful clasp of green bean motif which shows prominent craftsmanship in this age. The set also has a pipe, but it seems that it is not an original one as it is shorter than the case. 19th century. In good condition except for some patina. Tobacco case: 12cm x 6.7cm Pipe case: 2.7cm x 20cm

1900's Japanese Mixed Metal Gilt Iron Komai Otojiro Damascene Card Case

It is 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) long by 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide. It will hold a business card that is 3.14 inches (8 cm) wide. It is 57 gram.

It is tarnished and has rubbing of gold, oxidation, and surface wears and scratches (as seen in the photos).

Our Guarantee: We stand behind all of the items that we sell. That is to say, if you purchase an item from us and are unhappy with it for any reason, r...

Finely crafted Japanese carved wood netsuke figure; of a dragon head, late 19th century period. Size; Length of carving is 2 1/4 inches. Condition Report; Good condition, no imperfections.

19th century black coral netsuke of an old pine log with inlaid bronze spider spinning its web on one end and a dragonfly caught in another web on the other side of the log. The material is polished branch of umimatsu - in Japanese it literally means SEA PINE, and describes species of black coral with dense texture, concentric growth rings, and amber colored inclusions in the black material. Very clever design, superbly made gilded bronze spider and dragonfly, extraordinary detailing, beautiful ...

19th century Japanese small lacquered wood netsuke representing a theatrical mask of Demon Hannya. Excellent intense face, crisp detailing, nicely lacquered, great patina. some wear to the surface. Signed RYUUN on the back bar - the artist is listed in NETSUKE MASKS by Raymond Bushell, p. 175, signatures 241-243. Height 1.19 inches.

19th century bronze ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) in ball shape with relief decoration of several peony flowers. Wonderful work, traces of gilding, nice feel of age, pleasant patina. Height 9/16 inches.

Length: 4.1 cm (1.7 in)
Width: 3.6 cm (1.5 in)
Depth: 1.5 cm (0.6 in)

Fine Japanese netsuke of multiple seals; natural material; includes a lotus pod seal and five other calligraphic seals; good condition

19th century wooden netsuke of a hunter with a flintlock rifle trapped by an enormous scrotum of a badger. Uncommon topic in netsuke, excellent crisp carving, superb faces - distressed one of the hunter and cold smiling one of the badger, wonderful hairwork, great detailing of the hands of the hunter and veins on the scrotum, beautiful patina. Signed JURAKU on the foot of the hunter - the artist is listed in NETSUKE by Neil Davey (p. 477, number 962). Length 1 1/2 inches.

This is an 19th Century finely carved netsuke depicting a Blacksmith sitting on a stool and getting ready to place a shoe on one of the Horse's Hoofs. The horse is standing right next to him, with his body turned towards the blacksmith. Very nice detail and excellent golden-yellow patina. Unsigned. This netsuke shows wear due to handling. Aslo, the backsmith's right hand has been repaired, otherwise, it is in very good condition as shown in the attached photos. Netsuke measures 0.92 in...

Japanese Edo Period Boxwood Netsuke of Grazing Horse on base, lovely patination and soft wear. Two character signature on bottom (illegible), Edo Period. 1.75 inches long

19th century Japanese tobacco pipe consisting of a bamboo/reed stem and 2 metal parts each depicting Zen Buddhism patriarch Daruma enveloped in his robe. Bronze with beautiful copper colored patina, smoking part with characteristic small bowl (Japanese used finely shredded tobacco, and usually made just 2-3 puffs) and mouthpiece are made of paktong - an alloy made of copper, nickel and zinc used in Japan (sometimes called white bronze). Excellent quality work with sharp detailing The top of the ...

This is a finely carved Japanese Netsuke, made during the 1st Half of the 19th Century, depicting a Blind Oni reading a calligraphy long scroll with a girl. Well carved piece with character and some handling wear. Signed on the bottom Shoryu, a carver who worked during the 1st half of the 19th century, in Japan, according to George Lazarnick in his book 'Netsuke and Inro Artists and How to Read Their Signatures'. Netsuke measures 1.57 inches (4.0cm) wide, and 1.06 inches (2.7cm) tall.

Height: 3.3cm (1.4 in)
Width: 2.8cm (1.2 in)
Depth: 3.3cm (1.4 in)

Quality wood netsuke of a masseuse lifting a stone or has elephantitus; has a tumour on his head and a wall eye which is inlaid stone; signed Masakazu on an ivory plaque; good condition

19th century small lacquer netsuke carved in a shape of mokugye - a Buddhist gong with 2 dragons contesting a Precious Gem in their mouths. Carved out of a slab of lacquer, which was made of differently colored layers, thus giving the finished piece rich play of colors. Beautiful patina, signed with a single character MITSU. Height 0.96 inches.

Very unusual 19th century metal ojime (slide bead for tightening the cord going from netsuke to inro) in a shape of tokkuri (sake bottle) inside a wooden box, just the way sake is served in traditional restaurants in Japan. Very clever design in Japanese wabi-sabi taste, beautiful crisp work - see the texture of the box. Bronze with excellent gilding, great patina. Height 9/16 inches.

Height: 3.4 cm (1.4 in)
Width: 3.5 cm (1.4 in)
Depth: 1.9 cm (0.8 in)

Quality Japanese carved netsuke of a dog resting on a bag; natural material; excellent patina; well- placed himatoshi; good condition

This is a 19th Century, Dear Horn Antler Ryusa Manu Netsuke carved in a stylized blossom with five petals carrying a crest from a chapter of the Tale of Genji, sorrounded by waves, The other side is carved with an open-work blossom, within a five-point star, surrounded by waves. Typical work by the Asakusa School. Excellent detail on a one-piece, round, slightly domed manju, on a material that is very difficult to carve. unsigned. Netsuke measures 1.60 inches (4.0cm) in diameter, and ...

Wood Carved Netsuke Daruma Signed, 19th Century

He is 1.2 inches (3.1cm) tall by 1.2 inches (3.1cm) wide.

He is in good condition with no repairs, or chips, except hairline age cracks (as seen in the photos).

Large format photos available upon request.

Our Guarantee: We stand behind all of the items that we sell. That is to say, if you purchase an item from us and are unhappy with it for any reason, return it for a 100% refund of the amount you ...

Height: 4.2 cm (1.7 in)
Width: 4 cm (1.6 in)
Depth: 3.6 cm (1.4 in)

Rare Japanese netsuke of Okame laughing and hiding an Oni under a basket; natural material; a quality piece by the artist, Gyokusai; signed on the base

19th century Japanese small lacquered wood netsuke representing a theatrical mask of Shishiguchi - a lion mask used in scene 2 of the play Shakkyo. Uncommon image, excellent intense face, great patina. Crisp detailing, nicely lacquered, some wear to the surface. Signed RYUUN on the back bar - the artist is listed in NETSUKE MASKS by Raymond Bushell, p. 175, signatures 241-243. Height 1.23 inches.

Japanese tetsubin or tea pot, typically constructed from iron with a large handle to be hung over a fire pit. The tea pot has a bronze lid with a flower shaped finial. Its body is covered in small protruding studs, incised rings around its widest point, and its foot has old patina.

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 9" x 8" x 9 1/2" H

This is a finely carved 19th Century Netsuke depicting SEIOBO, The Chinese Queen of the Fairies. Seiobo, is also known as Si Wang Mu. According to Taoist legends, she has a palace in the Konron Mountains, where she grows the tree of the genii, the fruit that ripens every three thousand years. The fruit of this tree confers the gift of immortality to the person who eats it. According to the story, when Seiobo went to the court of the Emperor Wu Ti, to present him with ten peaches, Tobosaku stole...

Antique Japanese Buddhist bell with a wooden handle and brass fittings and hardware. The handle is decoratedbrass decorations. The top of the handle has an octagonal fitting and the handle is also octagonally shaped. Hexagonal pieces of metal with incised design of a six-point star adorn the upper part of the handle. The lower part of the handle has leaf like fittings. The bell is simple with rings of varying widths. It was obtained in Katmandu in the 1960s thought to be made in the early ...

Width: 3.8 cm (1.6 in)
Height: 2.6 cm (1.1 in)
Depth: 2.8 cm (1.2 in)

Fine Japanese netsuke of a puppy draped over a grinding stone; natural material; some age lines; warm patina; signed and by Rantei; good condition

19th century netsuke of four monkeys trying to contain three huge fogs that they caught and put in a tied bundle of lotus leaves. Very unusual (possibly unique) subject, beautifully carved, excellent faces of both types of creatures, eyes of the frogs are inlaid with light brown horn, wonderful hairwork, great patina. Signed cursively on the bottom - it appears to read ROSEI, but I am not entirely sure. Length 1.59 inches.

19th century kagamibuta (“mirror lid”) netsuke with copper top engraved with Daruma screaming and waving his hands. Excellent design, wonderful use of katakiribori - carving technique recreating brush strokes used in sumi ink drawings - see finely chiseled lines of his robe. Nice wooden bowl, metal fitting around himotoshi. Disc diameter 1.19 inches, bowl diameter 1.79 inches.