Catalog (434)

Katagami which is used for katazome (stenci-resist-dye), made of many layers of washi (Japanese handmade paper). It is painted with kakishibu (persimmon tannin) for waterproof and strength. The pattern "Kanze-mizu" is derived from the crest of the Noh drama player Kanze Dayu which is whirl of water. He was the founder of Kanze style Noh (15th century). In good condition. 20th century. 38cm x 45cm

Sakiori obi (sash) for a casual kimono. Weft is cotton strips which are recycled old cotton kimono and warp is silk yarn. In excellent condition. 20th century. 14cm x 2m28cm

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

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

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) whose weft is cotton strips recycled from old indigo dye kimono. warp is asa (hemp) yarn. It has beautiful mixed vegetable indigo color. In good condition but has some wear. The first half of the 20th century. 43cm x 75cm

Korean pojagi (bojagi) made of fragments of choma (ramie). All hand-sewn. In excellent condition. the first half of the 20th century. 106cm x 120cm Belt:3.7cm x 41.5cm

Hagoita (battledore) with oshie which is the Japanese traditional craft. Motifs are figures, kabuki actors, flowers, birds etc. They are made into raised pictures with silk crepe with lining of cotton and attached on the wood or paper board. Hagoita is used for the game "hane-tsuki" played on the New Year's Day. Two persons hit a shuttle with hagoita. This one has oshie woman in traditional kimono. It has letters that show it was made in Meiji and in Tokyo. In good condition with an original box...

A gun powder container (kayaku-ire) made of twisted paper string and urushi (lacquer) is painted. It is very sturdy and light-weight so that it was made to many living wares such as a bowl, a sake cup, jingasa (hat), tobacco pouch, trunk, etc. from Edo period. In excellent condition with a deer skin pouch. 19th century. W:7cm H:16.5cm

A piece of rug made of cotton cloth, one side is vegetable indigo dye plain and the other side is stripe. It has roughly sewn sashiko (quilting) and has four layers of cloth. In good condition but it has some stains and indigo faded parts. The first half of the 20th century. 164cm x 166cm

A pair of goldfish lantern made of washi (handmade paper) and bamboo strips which is the origin of Nepta (or Nebuta) used at Nepta festival in Hirosaki city in Aomori prefecture. The goldfish lantern made of paper and bamboo strips were used till around 1980s, but now it is replaced to one made of vinyl and wire. In good condition except for some brownish spots in the white parts. Large one: H:35cm W:34cm, Small one: H24cm W20cm

Pilgrim's cotton hanten (hakue) with many stamps of sacred places in Shodo-shima in Kagawa prefecture. They are called "Shodo-shima Hachiju-hachi Kasho", 88 Sacred Places in Shodo Island. It is said Kobo-Taishi (Kukai) had ascetic practice and prayer at those places, who founded Shingon Mikkyo in late 8th century. In good condition except for light stain in the upper back sleeve. The first half of the 20th century. 128cm x 93cm

Bashofu kimono made of several different pieces of bashofu with stripes. It is roughly sewn together, so it might be worn for a work wear. Both weft and warp are hand-plied. In good condition except for some stains. The first half of the 20th century. 124cm x 126cm

Bamboo flower basket with a water container (otoshi) which is also made of bamboo. Otoshi has no water leaking and has nice color. The basket is in excellent condition except for a minor break near bottom and body (5mm north). The first half of the 20th century. H:41cm, W:24cm, Otoshi H:20cm, Diameter:13cm

Large cloth which is recycled from hemp maku (shroud) with Tomoe-mon crest (three-way), dyed with vegetable indigo and painted with sumi (ink). Both warp and weft yarn are hand-plied. The original maku might have been used in the temple or shirine, or on the occasion of rites and festivals. Generally in god condition but has a few mending patches and the indigo blue faded parts and wear. 19th century. 148cm x 2m80cm

Sakiori obi handwoven of strips from silk kimono for weft and cotton yarn for warp. In excellent condition. 20th century. 14cm x 2m72cm

Maiwai is a kimono having been given to fishermen from a fish boat owner on the occasion of the large catch. It is seen along the Pacific Ocean, from Aomori to Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture. The motif of the picture in the lower part is “Gonin-dachi Kashima Odori”, five people performing Kashima dance which is the group folk dancing originated from Kashima-jingu Shrine in Ibaraki Pref. The design is katazome (stencil-resist-dye) and vegetable indigo dyed and pigments. It was performed...

Two pieces of urumi-zome cloth which are made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. Urumi-zome is katazome (stencil-resist-dye) imitating shibori-zome (tie-dye) and it requires more process than common katazome to make blurring like shibori. Both have rips but other part of the cloth is not weak. The right one has a patch in the back. The second half of the 19th century. Right one:75cm x 126cm, Left one:65cm x 126cm

Hanten, called "suzukake" worn by a Shugen-sha or Yamabushi who practiced Shugendo. Shugendo is the Japanese unique religion combining Buddhism, Shintoism, and worship of nature (mountains). A practitioner (shugen-sha) trained himself in the holy mountains that is ascetic and very painstaking. This one is made of asa (hemp) and both warp and weft are hand-plied. Red stamps of holy places are much faded but the kanji character read "Omine-san" that is located in southern Nara prefecture and a par...

Hanten, called "suzukake" worn by a Shugen-sha or Yamabushi who practiced Shugendo. Shugendo is the Japanese unique religion combining Buddhism, Shintoism, and worship of nature (mountains). A practitioner (shugen-sha) trained himself in the holy mountains that is ascetic and very painstaking. It is made of hemp and weft of is hand-plied but warp is machine-spun. The kanji characters read Koya-san that was founded by the priest Kobo Daishi, also known Kukai about 1200 years ago and located in W...

Cotton kimono with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) pattern butterfly crest and dancer. It is made from cloth for tenugui (towel). It has rather thick texture and in good condition except for some dirty line in the neck. The first half of the 20th century. 118cm x 131cm

Kimono, called "suzukake" worn by a Shugen-sha or Yamabushi who practiced Shugendo. "Suzu" means bamboo grass. Shugendo is the Japanese unique religion combining Buddhism, Shintoism, and worship of nature (mountains). A practitioner (shugen-sha) trained himself in the holy mountains that is ascetic and very painstaking. It is made of thick cotton and dyed with sumi (ink). Kanji characters read "Hakkai-san" which is a group of cragged mountains and has been worshipped since ancient time, located ...

Elementary student's uniform made of wool and probably blended. It has Longer pants has mending. 1940s. Jacket: W:41cm L:53cm, Long pants: W:38cm :L64cm, Short pants: W:31cm L:50cm

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

Thin wool unlined kimono with katazome dots pattern. The wool kimono was made in 1950s. The ground is off-white and dots are red. It looks it was barely worn and in excellent condition. 1950s. 130cm x 154cm

Meisen kimono with kasuri red and black rectangular pattern. It has red red silk lining, so probably made in 1930s. In excellent condition. 124cm x 154cm

Sakiori obi for a casual kimono. The warp is cotton yarn and the weft is cotton strips recycled old from cloth. In excellent condition. The second half of the 20th century. 13.3cm x 2m16cm

Two kitchen cloth (fukin) made of thin cotton cloth with sashiko whose needlework is delicately well done. In good condition but the right one has light stains and the other has green color breeding lightly. The second half of the 20th century. 31cm x 33cm (right), 32cmx 35cm (left)

Chogappo made of fragments of white choma (ramie) whose weft and warp are hand-plied. Natural color fragments are mixture of choma and silk. "Pojagi" is the general name for the wrapping cloth and "chogappo" is one kind of pojagi which is patchworked with asa (mainly choma, ramie) fragments.(reference source: "Korean Embroidery and Wrapping Cloths from the Choson Dynasty" published by Japan Art & Culture Association in 1995). The first half of the 20th century. In excellent condition. 67cm x 67c...

Two Saga-men, Okame and Hyottoko which were sold in front of temples in Saga region in Kyoto since late Edo period (the first half of the 19th century). They were sold as charms against bad luck and evil but interrupted in early 20th century and revived in 1950s. Both are made in late 19th to early 20th century. Many layers of wastepaper are pasted on the plaster model and colored. Hyottoko-men is not finished. Okame mask has some paint came off. Okame: L:20cm, W:13.5cm Hyottoko: L:18cm, W:14...

Kohai, a halo made of metal (copper). Very little bit of gold plate is left. 19th century. L:38.5cm, W:13cm

A baby carrier belt made of indigo dye cotton for warp and washi (Japanese handmade paper) yarn for weft. It is made in Shonai region in Yamagata district in Tohoku. In good condition with beautiful tassels but the seam loose part in one selvedge (30cm). The first half of the 20th century. 13.5cm x 3m60cm

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

A fragment of cotton cloth with tsutsugaki turtle and crane design which is an auspicious motif. The cloth is hand-spun cotton and natural dye. It is probably a fragment of nobori (banner). It has calligraphy in one of the hems, but not readable. In good condition. The first half of the 19th century. 32cm x 74.5cm

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

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).

Cotton cloth which used to be obi (sash) for a casual kimono. It has hand-drawn tsutsugaki design. It was "Nagoya obi" which was invented in early 20th century to make it easier to tie in the traditional style. In good condition but has folded line in the center (about a half length ) and some stains in the back. Mid 20th century. 32.5cm x 4m28cm