Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese: Okimono (6)

Vintage Japanese kiriwood okimono in a shape of Kan'ei Tsūhō - an Edo period coin with a value of 1 mon. Actual copper Kan'ei Tsūhō was a Japanese coin in use from 1626 until 1868. It was introduced by the Tokugawa shogunate to standardize and maintain a sufficient supply of copper coinage, and it was the first government-minted copper coin in 700 years. These coins would become the daily currency of the common people and would be used for small payments...

Vintage Japanese okimono of one of the 3 wise monkeys in their habitual "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” attitude - in this case Mizaru covering his eyes. Carved in ittobori (one cut) style typical for the Hida school. Very clever rendition of the animal, much more creative and challenging as a number of intersecting planes versus natural familiar rounded lines. Very clever use of ichii (yew wood), its texture nicely imitating fur of the animal, in excellent condition...

Vintage unusually small wooden Japanese okimono of a crouching alert toad. Excellent clever carving capturing the essence of the creature. The material is Yakusugi wood - that of Japanese cedar (sugi, Cryptomeria tree) growing on the island of Yakushima and belonging to the trees aged 1000 years or older. Beautiful layered texture, wonderful depiction of its bumpy skin. Eyes are 2-colored glass, the piece is in excellent condition. Length 1 5/8 inches.

Vintage Japanese okimono of a sitting dog carved in ittobori (one cut) style typical for the Hida school. Very clever rendition of the animal, much more creative and challenging as a number of intersecting planes versus natural familiar rounded lines. Very clever use of ichii (yew wood), its texture nicely imitating fur of the animal. Wonderful face, in excellent condition, pyrographic (burned) stamp of the maker on the bottom. Height 2 3/4 inches.

Japanese bronze okimono (also can be used as scroll weight) of a resting ram by the metal artist Masahiko Katori (1899-1988), who was recognized in 1977 as a holder of Intangible Cultural Property - the term refers exclusively to human skills possessed by individuals which are indispensable to produce Cultural Properties...

Vintage Japanese wooden okimono carved in a shape of a doll of Zen Patriarch Daruma enveloped in his monastic robe. Good size and unusually fat sculpture carved out of chosen matsu (Korean pine wood), its face done in ittobori (one cut) style characteristic of Hida school with clever use of wood colors and structure to add to the charm of the piece. Excellent sense of volume, pupils are inlaid with metal, beautiful patina. Signed on the back with 2 characters that can be read as KOKUEI...