Catalog (416)

Cotton futonji with beautiful kasuri in check pattern, which is handwoven. Warps and wefts are both hand-spun and vegetable dye, indigo and brown color. It is from Fukuyama city in Hiroshima prefecture (Bingo-gasuri). The first half of the 20th century. In excellent condition. W:131cm, L:140cm

A pair of wood candle stand painted with colorful urushi. The plate for candle on the top is made of metal. In excellent condition except for some tiny chips on the rim of the top plate and urushi came off in the bottom of one candle. 20th century. H:37cm Diameter of the bottom:10cm

Katana-bukuro made of hand-spun cotton with komon, tiny pattern which is katazome (stencil-resist-dyeing). It has tsuta-mon (ivy) family crest. All hand-sewn. In good condition but has much color faded parts. 19th century. 16cm x 86cm

A bag made of deer skin with indigo dye hemp rope. It was used for coins which were distributed among citizens in Edo period. Paper moneys were issued later, in Meiji period (1868~1912). The first half of the 19th century. 26cm x 62cm

Shonai-obi hand-woven of wash yarn (Japanese handmade paper) for weft and cotton yarn for warp. It is produced in Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. It has beautiful tassels in both ends. The dyes are vegetable indigo and brown. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. 25.5cm x 3m52cm

Basket for backpack made of strips of mountain cherry bark. It has cotton print and check lining (upper part only) and silk belt. Outer side is in good condition but the other side has breaks and loose parts. The first half of the 20th century. W:36cm, L:32cm, H:7cm

Four ceramic rectangular plates with geometric glaze. It has kiln's stamp in the back side in one of the plates, however not identified. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:10cm, L:17.5cm, H:3cm

Beni-itajime-zome (board-clamped dyeing with safflower) han-juban (short under kimono). The body part is hand-spun cotton and the sleeves are figured silk and the wrist parts are wool muslin. In good condition but the dirty line in the neck, rips in the front sleeve and some moth holes in the wrists. Late 19th to early 20th century. 125cm x 66cm

Wood tray with traditional Ainu pattern made by Ainu people in Hokkaido. Generally in good condition but has some scratches and the reddish color came off. 20th century. 30.5cm x 20.2cm x 1cm

Silk crepe cloth with beautiful embroidery of wisteria motif which is one of the long sleeves (furisode). The ground cloth is white silk crepe (chirimen) and the embroidery threads are vegetable dye. It has kata-kanoko (stencil-dye pattern) imitating small shibori pattern named kanoko shibori. In excellent condition except for a light brownish line in the center. The first half of the 19th century (late Edo period). 35cm x 190cm

Wood oke, a container with a handle. The strips around it are made of bamboo. Generally in good condition. It has carved character in the bottom but unreadable. The second half of the 19th century. Diameter:20.3cm, Height:23.3cm

A roll of cotton cloth with Arimatsu shibori whose motif is hemp leaf pattern. The cloth is before steaming and ironing. In excellent condition but the white part, about 60cm from the one end, has a bit yellowish color from long time storage. 1950s to 70s. 30cm x 10m9cm

Han-juban (short under kimono) made of hand-spun cotton and katazome (stencil-resist-dye) and shibori (tie-dye) pattern which are vegetable indigo dye. Shibori is made in Yokote in Akita prefecture. Late 19th to early 20th century. 56cm x 59cm

A mirror made of copper with wood stand which is one of "Sanshu-no-Jingi", the Three Imperial Regalia. In ancient time, all natural objects and phenomena were worshipped in Shinto, but three items such as mirror, jewel and sword are objects to be worshipped later. A mirror is often put in the shrine pavilion these days. This mirror is rather small, so it might have been put in a house shrine. In excellent condition with molded auspicious design with a crane, a turtle, pine trees and bamboos. Kan...

A wood suzuri-bako (ink stone box or writing box) which has layers of colors of urushi inside. It has a memo that it belonged to a noted Japanese painter, however it is not proven. The first half of the 20th century. It has some hair lines and cracks in the painting. 17cm x 27cm x 4.8cm

A sashi (obi) made of plain weave silk with katazome design whose motifs are Edo Hikeshi (fireman) such as hanten (jacket) with brigade's marks, matoi (brigade's symbol) etc. Lining is twill weave black silk cloth. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. 31cm x 4m12cm

Fireman's hat with hand-stitched sashiko (quilting). The outside cloth is dyed with vegetable indigo and the lining is dyed with natural brown. Two belts are recycled from old cotton cloth with katazome. In good condition. Meiji period (1868～1912). W:33cm, L:55cm

A large wood tray in red and black urushi (lacquer ware). Generally in good condition, but minor hairline in the surface and some parts where urushi came off and wear in the back. 20th century. Diameter:40cm, H:4cm

Woman's juban (under kimono) made of recycled cloth such as hand-spun cotton with Hinode shibori, which is vegetable indigo dye for the lower part, and cotton with katazome, for the top part. The first half of the 20th century. In excellent condition except for a few light stains in the white cotton lining. 124cm x 126cm

Rice bag made of fragments of hand-spun cotton with stripes, katazome (stencil-resist-dye) and checks, all vegetable indigo and brown dye. The cord is cotton. Kome-bukuro was used when people dedicated rice to temples or shrines. In excellent condition except for several mending. The first half of the 20th century. W:44cm, H:33cm

Tall Eboshi-shaped fire hood for a samurai, made of hand-spun cotton, both outside and inside, and dyed with vegetable indigo. In Edo period, the town of Edo often suffered from massive fires, so that "machi hikeshi" by town people as well as "samurai hikeshi" were organized. This hood was worn by a samurai together with samurai fire costume when the fire broke out. In good condition except for slight dirt in the top part. The piping is silk. 19th century. W:53cm, L:69cm

This is a pair of bamboo ornaments with carved Chinese-style poetry, however some Chinese characters are not readable, so its meaning is not clear either. In good condition. W:9.5cm, L:94cm

Silk meisen lined kimono with geometric pattern in blue, white, pink, green and black. Both warps and wefts kasuri yarn are paper stencil dye. In good condition. Mid 20th century. W:124cm, L:152cm

Hinagata (sample book of hanten (short jacket) design which is wood-block print. Hinagata is a sample design book and it was for customers when they make orders. The designs are stencil-dyed in the back of hantens which were worn by workers such as shop clerks, fish market workers, firemen and so on. This book is a remake of the original book as the ground paper had many damages so that the original design hantens were cut out and pasted on Japanese paper and newly bound. It has 62 hantens in di...

Woman's kimono madeof hand-spun cotton with shibori pattern. It is dyed with vegetable indigo. The white cloth in the upper inside is also hand-spun cotton. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. 126cm x 140cm

A container for gun powder used by samurai. It is in shape of hyotan, but made of wood and painted with urushi. The netsuke in the shape of mokugyo (temple block) with delicate carving. 19th century. In good condition. H:14cm Diameter:8cm

A wooblock print book whose pictures were originally by Ando Hiroshige (or another name Utagawa Hiroshige) who was a prominant and well known ukiyoe-shi (1797~1858). This book was edited in Ansei 2nd (1855). In good condition but has some patina from aging. 11.5cm x 18cm x 0.5mm 38 pages

Pilgrim's hanten made of thin white cotton with many stamps of the sacred sites that are called "Shodo-shima Hachiju-Hachi-kasho Reijo (Shodo Island 88 holy places) located in Kagawa prefecture in Shikoku. The pilgrimage route was opened in late 17th century. The head band has stamps from Omine-san (Mt.Omine) in Nara prefecture. No sign of a place in the belly band. In good condition but has a few stains. The first half of the 20th century. Hanten:120cm x 64cm, Head Band:30cm x 92cm, Belly Band:...

Juban (under kimono) made of three kinds of silk cloth. One is silk crepe with yamamayu (wild silk) stripes and the other is silk crepe with stripes. The third one is tsumugi (pongee silk) with katazome komon (stencil-resist-dye small pattern). All natural dyed. Yamamayu (wild silk) is rare and precious comparing with cultured silk. It is hardly dyed, so that it stands out shiny when woven together with silk crepe. It is sewn with very fine choma (ramie) thread so that it is rather old. The lini...

Miniature set of koi-nobori (carp streamer) which is put up on the Boy's Festival (or Child's Day on May 5). It is often decorated with miniature yoroi-kabuto (armors) or samurai dolls. Carp is a symbol of strength and success. 1970s. Two banners and outer cloth of two carp are synthetic. In good condition except for a small tip in the one of spears and one of tiny screw for wheels (yaguruma) is lost. It comes with original carton box. Highest: 1m7cm, Blue carp L:25cm Red carp L:15cm Black woo...

Cotton kimono with Miura Shibori and dyed with vegetable indigo. Hand-sewn and shibori is also hand-tied. In excellent condition except for indigo faded parts. 20th century. 128cm x 140cm

Five pieces of cotton diaper with Sekka shibori pattern which is one kind of clamp-board dye. They are all unused and in excellent condition. Hand^sewn in ring shapes. 20th century. 34cm x 63cm

Raku-yaki tea bowl for tea ceremony. Raku-yaki is hand-shaped with pallet but not with the potter's wheel. This bowl has pinkish glaze and nice grey glaze in the bottom inside. 18th or 19th century. In good condition. Diameter:13cm Height:9cm

Rare item. Two fragments which are thick silk crepe (oni-chirimen) with katazome Ainu design. It might be haori (jacket) or kimono. In good condition but has some light stains and a hole (1cm x 0.5cm) The first half of the 20th century. Left one: 39cm x 96cm, Right one: 39cm x 116cm

Han-juban, short under kimono, made of hand-spun cotton and dyed with benibana (safflower). The dye technique is Beni-itajime which is board-clamp dye. The cloth is folded in some layers between two boards which are pattern carved and generally about 12 boards are used to dye about 22m length of cloth. Beni-itajime was mostly dyed in Kyoto until the end of Edo period but it was practiced in other places later. The lining is also hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. In excellent condition. ...

Cotton kimono called "yukata" with bold polka dot pattern. The dye technique is called "chusen" which is one kind of stenciled paste-resist-dye. Several 10s of layers of cotton fabric can be dyed by pouring the dye liquid. All hand-sewn and in good condition except for a very faint stain in the white cloth inside the back. 20th century. 126cm x 150cm