Catalog (429)

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

Rare hat made of rice straw and indigo dye cotton cloth which is hand-spun. It was worn by a hunter or a worker in the mountain. From Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku. Generally in good condition. The first half of the 20th century. L:52cm (indigo cloth 42cm ), W:32cm

Knitted bag made of asa (hemp or ramie) and kakishibu (persimon tannin) is coated with. It has mending parts, however, in good condition. It was used by a mountain worker. The first half of the 20th century. W:39cm, L:36cm

Yuki boshi (snow hat), or yuki kabuto (snow helmet) made of Obana, or Yamagaya (Japanese pampas) and cotton yarn for decoration. It has belts made of indigo dye and hand spun cotton inside. In good condition except for some wear in the decorative yarn. The first half of the 20th century. W:48cm, L:48cm

Tsuto made of rice straw which is used for containing ceramic plates. It has a small wooden tag "12 plates". In old age, there was no plastic cushioning material so that rice straw was used much for it and for other crafts. In good condition and very few scraps which is usual for old crafts made of rice straw. The first half of the 20th century. Diameter:24cm, H:26cm

A case for hemp seed made of hechima, sponge gourd, one kind of squash. It has writing "hemp seed" and the year "Showa 9", 1934. It has beautiful color of urushi and kakishibu by aging. L:83cm, Diameter:12cm

Wood tray with urushi painted whose technique is free and irregular. It might be made not for sale, however, it is unique and interesting. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition except for a few minor chips on the rim. Diameter:30cm, H:4cm

Juban (under kimono) made of hand-spun cotton with shibori design, dyed with vegetable indigo. The shibori technique of the top part is Te-Kumo Shibori (Hand-bound Spiderweb) and the lower part is Kanoko shibori (Bound Dots) and Boshi shibori (Capped Motifs) with mum design, which is dyed in Akita prefecture. Cotton cloth inside is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. In good condition except for mending in the back (the last image). The first half of the 20th century. 121cm x 130cm

Sakiori sodenashi (vest) handwoven of strips recycled from old cotton cloth for wefts, and hemp yarn for warps. Sakiori hanten and sodenashi were made mainly in districts along the Japan Sea of the mainland, where they have much snow and cold climate in winter. Piping cloth is indigo dye cotton. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:49cm, L:86cm

A fisherman's work wear hand-woven of hemp for the weft and cotton yarn for the warp. Stripes are vegetable indigo dye and also natural color cotton yarn. It is from Tsushima in Nagasaki prefecture, an island located between Korean Peninsula and north Kyushu, and the textile is called Tsushima-asa. It had been woven till 1930s, but not woven since then, so it is precious, especially in this excellent condition one. Cotton was expensive, so richer people had more cotton yarn which made the texti...

A set of four fans (uchiwa) made of bamboo and washi (Japanese hand-made paper). Each has hand-painted pictures and signs such as three kabuki "kumadori" which is special makeup of the kabuki player and Otahuku. All have the same written seal marks, however the name of the artist is not clear. Two are painted with kakishibu (persimmon tannin) 20th century. In excellent condition. W:30.5cm H:35.5cm

Paper stencil for kimono or futonji which are made of wash, Japanese handmade paper. The first paper stencil resist dyeing appeared in the Kamakura and Nanboku-cho period (1185~1392). It was applied for many items later, such as samurai's kamishimo(komon), civilian's kimono, No-drama costume and so on. Mino-gami (handmade paper made in Mino in Gifu Pref.) is used for the stencil. Two to four sheets of paper made from kozo (paper mulberry) tree are pasted together with paste mixed with kaki-shibu...

Urushi small tray with gold makie whose motifs are auspicious noshi and treasures. It has an original wooden box. In excellent condition except for a chip (8mm) in the rim. Late 19th to mid 20th century. W:27cm L:18cm H:12cm

A wood plate used by a lacquer ware maker. It has layers of red and black urushi. It is used by a craftsperson of Aizu-nuri, from Aizu in Fukushima in Tohoku district. The first half of the 20th century. Diameter:16.4cm, H:4cm

This is a meisen kimono with geometric pattern in white, red and black. In good condition except for the blackish part in the back ( not stain but weaving flaw ) and some stains in the front lining. 1950s 128cm x 150cm

Silk Meisen unlined kimono with geometric pattern. Double kasuri (wefts and warps) is dyed with stencil-resist-dye (Heiyo-kasuri). Mid 20th century. In excellent condition. 126cm x 148cm

Wood bowl (shikarinpah) with bird motif, made by Ainu craftsman in Hokkaido. All hand-carved and in excellent condition. 20th century. L:24cm W:10.5cm H:5cm

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

Basket handmade of Yama-budo, wild grapevine which grows deep in the mountains. It is used by a mountain worker as a backpack. Generally in good condition but has a few minor breaks. The first half of the 20th century. W:43cm x 28cm x 15cm.

Basket made of yama-budo (crimson glory vine) for body part and akebi (akebia vine) for handles. It is from Tohoku region, North-East of the Honshu. In excellent condition. 20th century. 48cm x 33cm x 16cm (body part)

A bag for backpack made of Miyama Kansuge, "hiroro" by dialect which is a group of carex. It is made in Aizu region in Fukushima prefecture. It has purple and dark indigo cotton cloth interknitted in the cord. 20th century. In excellent condition. 40cm x 39cm.

Wooden figure of Tosa-inu (Tosa dog) representing Yokozuna (grand champion of sumo ). Tosa is located in Kochi prefecture in Shikoku district. In good condition except for some dirt in the ropes. 20th century. W:10.3cm x H:10.3cm D:12cm

A bag handmade of bast fiber from Shina tree (Japanese linden), which is very fine inner fiber of the tree. It is used for collected nuts, berries, or tools. From Hokkaido Ainu. 20th century. In excellent condition. W:40cm, L:34cm

A pair of snow shoes made of rice straw which is from Tohoku district in Japan Sea side prefecture such as Yamagata or Akita. In excellent condition. 20th century. L:28cm, W:11cm, H:12cm

Trunk box made of wicker, bamboo and leather. It has washi (Japanese handmade paper) lining with kanji letters. It has black leather for reinforcement. In good condition but has some wear in the leather. It is tight when the lid is put on the box, so better to use separately. The first half of the 20th century. 44cm x 31cm x 24cm

Yuki-boshi (snow hat) or yuki-kabuto (snow helmet) made of palm tree fiber and vegetable indigo dye cotton inside. It has washi painted with Paulownia oil for waterproof, between outside and cotton indigo lining. It is from Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture in Tohoku district. It is said it was worn by "matagi", a hunter. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition with belts inside are left, which is rather rare. 40cm x 50cm

A large basket handmade of bamboo strips. In excellent condition except for a minor break, however no problem for use. 20th century. Diameter:43.5cm, H:17cm

Bag made of hand spun and vegetable indigo dye cotton, with beautiful sashiko. The lining cloth is cotton which looks hand spun and has katazome (stencil-resist dye) stripes. The metal clasp works well, which is antique handmade with boat motif. Generally in good condition but has some indigo faded spots and wear in one of the corners in the bottom. The first half of the 20th century. W:29cm, L:20cm, H:3.5cm

Tsugaru kogin kimono made of vegetable indigo dye hemp whose warps and wefts are hand plied. It is made in Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture in Tohoku district. Kogin-sashi is one kind of needlework (sashiko), stitches with white cotton yarn go horizontally and make geometrical patterns. It makes the hemp kimono warm with thick kogin in the cold district like Aomori, where it is hard to cultivate cotton. It has thin indigo dye cotton lining and sashiko in the lower body too. Both sleeves are "...

Tsugaru kogin kimono made of vegetable indigo dye hemp whose warps and wefts are hand plied. It is made in Tsugaru region in Aomori prefecture in Tohoku district. Kogin-sashi is one kind of needlework (sashiko), stitches with white cotton yarn go horizontally and make geometrical patterns. It makes the hemp kimono warm with thick kogin in the cold district like Aomori, where it is hard to cultivate cotton. Both sleeves are "tsutsu-sode. It has indigo dye thin cotton lining and sashiko in the lo...

Makanai which is a kimono worn at home after work in the Nanbu region, where is the east part of Aomori prefecture. It is made of hemp cloth whose wefts and warps are hand-plied and lightly vegetable indigo dyed. The lining is machine-spun cotton. It has very fine sashiko with indigo dye cotton yarn. In good condition but has light stains in front as well as in the back. The last image is from the book "Michinoku-no-Kohu-no-Sekai" by Tanaka Chuzaburo. The first half of the 20th century. 126cm x ...

Mingei wooden box with carving. In good condition but has some dents and scratches on the lid. 20th century. 13.5cm x 29cm x 5.5cm

Wood tray mended with metal hinges. It has beautiful annual growth rings and grains. The first half of the 20th century. W:27.5cm, L:40cm, H:4.8cm, Weight:1100gm

A pair of wooden tabi-kata, patterns for tabi socks. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. L:21cm W:8cm H:5cm

4 pieces of Nara Uchiwa whose history dates back to Nara period (A.D.710~794). It began as manual side line work of the Shinto priest of Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara. The traditional motifs (Tenpyo Moyo) such as peonix, deer, kylin (imaginary animal), dragon, Parrot etc. These four (originally five) were made by Ikeda Gankodo which is only existing maker of it in Nara. In good condition. The first half of the 20th century. W:22cm L:37cm

Yuzen hinagata (sample book of yuzen-zome) of kosode (kimono with narrow opening of wrists) which is a reprinted edition of Edo kosode hinagata. It has 20 pages and 40 Yuzen-zome kosode designs. The book is made of washi (Japanese handmade paper.) Published by Yoneyama-do in Tokyo in 1927. In excellent condition. 18.5cm x 27cm x 0.5cm

Yuzen hinagata (sample book of yuzen-zome) of kosode (kimono with narrow opening of wrists) which is a reprinted edition of Edo kosode hinagata. It has 20 pages and 40 Yuzen-zome kosode designs. The book is made of washi (Japanese handmade paper.) Published by Yoneyama-do in Tokyo in 1926. In excellent condition. 18.5cm x 27cm x 0.5cm

A sheet of "tatougami" made of recycled washi (Japanese handmade paper) used at a pawn shop. Hocked items were wrapped in this tatougami and kept. It is made of used washi with letters and kakishibu is painted for insect repellent and for moisture-resisting. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition but has one moth bite hole. 66cm x 66cm

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

4 pieces of meisen cloth which used to be haori (jacket). The longer two have a horizontal 9cm cut in the middle for the neck. Generally in good condition but has some patina and stains. Mid 20th century. 36cm x 1m74cm x 2 (sleeves) 36cm x 2m68cm x 2 (body)

Furoshiki (wrapping cloth) with owner's name, made of asa (hemp) whose warps and wefts are hand-plied. It has 4 mending patches with same cloth as the ground. It has un-dyed cotton cloth for reinforcement in the middle and has sashiko. Used but in excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. 132cm x 138cm

A large bag made of taima (hemp) which was used for cocoons. The first half of the 20th century when the Japanese silk industry was most prosperous. This bag might have been used at the silk-raising farmers. Many mending stitches and a few patches. L:109cm, W:81cm

Hanten work wear (noragi( made of hemp, both warps and wefts are hand-plied. Sleeves are tsutsusode (tubular shape). In excellent condition except for a mending (5mm) The first half of the 20th century. 120cm x 61cm

Asa (hemp）kimono with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) whose wefts and warps are hand-plied. Dyed with vegetable indigo. In excellent condition except for two rips in the center back (7mm and 5mm). The third quarter of the 20th century. 126cm x 134cm

Asa (hemp) unlined kimono with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) fan motif. In good condition but has a few brownish spots. Mid 20th century. 126cm x 152cm

Pilgrim's coat made of asa (hemp) with hand-written Buddhist sutra. It also has stampted Zao Gongen who is a main image of the Kinpusen-ji temple and Ominesan-ji temple. It has many red stamps of holy places where the pilgrim had visited such as Ominesan-ji, Kinpusen-ji, Zaodo etc. which are located between Wakayama and Nara prefecture where "shugen-sha ( holy man )" has been practicing Shugendo. The area was designated as "World Heritage". The first half of the 20th century. In excellent condit...

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

Baby's cotton kimono with Sekka-shibori, one kind of board-clamp dye. It has cotton lining. Handsewn but the belt is sewn by machine. Generally in good condition but some light stains in the cotton white lining and upper front. The first half of the 20th century. 59cm x 47cm

Baby's kimono made of soft cotton with shibori pattern and dyed with akane (madder). It has interesting shirring in both wrists. In excellent condition. The first half of the 20th century. 70cm x 60.5cm

A bag made of hand-spun cotton with shibori (tie-dye) and katazome (stencil-resist-dye) pattern which is vegetable indigo dye. It has cotton lining with kasuri pattern which is also hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye and thinly padded with cotton. Generally in good condition except for a few stains. The first half of the 20th century. 30cm x 41cm

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree, for both wefts and warps. The blue stripe yarn is dyed with Ryukyu-ai, vegetable indigo in Okinawa. Bashofu has been woven in many Islands in Okinawa from old days, for everyday kimono or work wear. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition except for a few brownish stains. W:120cm, L:117cm

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree, for both wefts and warps. The brown weft kasur and stripe yarns are dyed with extract liquid from tree or root of "sharinbai", which is a family of rose. Bashofu has been woven in many Islands in Okinawa for everyday kimono or work wear. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition except for a bit of wear in front. W:110cm, L:98cm

Bashofu kimono hand-woven of ito-basho, which is a family of banana tree, for both wefts and warps. The brown stripe yarn and warp kasuri yarn are dyed with Sharinbai, a family of the rose tree. The small weft kasri yarn is dyed with Ryukyu ai, vegetable indigo in Okinawa. Bashofu has been woven in many islands in Okinawa from old days, for everyday kimono or work wear. The first half of the 20th century. W:114cm, L:132cm

A pair of boro tabi (socks) with sashiko, which is made of cotton and indigo dyed and has four metal straps. The lining is cotton flannel. The first half of the 20th century. W:9cm, L:21cm.

A pair of boro tabi (socks) with sashiko. The lining is thin cotton cloth. It has four metal straps. Both soles are lost. The first half of the 20th century. H:12.5cm, L:27cm

Huge maku (curtain) made of many sake-bukuro which are recycled. It has many mending patches and stitches. The first half of the 20th century. 2m56cm x 128cm

Boro futonji whose ground cloth and most of the mending patches are hand-spun and natural indigo dyed cotton. It used to be a futon cover so that it still has cotton dust. Late 19th to mid 20th century. 63cm x 144cm

Boro momohiki (panta) made of indigo dyed cotton and has mending patches. The first half of the 20th century. W: 80cm (flexble) L: 90cm

Hanten with sashiko and mending patches which is from Shonai region in Yamagata prefecture. It is made of many indigo dye cotton fragments as cotton was precious in regions with cold climate. It has beautiful vegetable indigo faded and worn-out parts. The first half of the 20th century. W:85cm, L:90cm

Small rug or zokin made of cotton fragments recycled from old kimono or futonji, which are hand-spun and vegetable indigo dye. It has sashiko (quilting) and two to four layers of cloth. The first half of the 20th century. 43cm x 49cm