Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (206)

Floor cushion cover (zabuton-gawa) made of choma (ramie) whose warps and wefts are hand-plied. It has beautiful katazome (stencil-resist-dye) bamboo motif. The white ground katazome is called "Jishiro" which is rather rare than indigo ground one. It has also nice cloth with stripes for lining, whose warps are cotton and wefts are ramie. Probably made in Echigo, now Niigata prefecture. In excellent condition. The second half of the 19th century. 64cm x 68.5cm

Rare item. Rokushaku Kanban which was worn by a palanquin bearer (kago-kaki) who was a servant worked for a feudal lord (tono-sama) and a bearer of a palanquin when the lord went out. There are various theories that the kimono is called "Rokushaku-Kanban": servants worked in the lord's residence or a castle are called "rokushaku" and the kimono has "kanban" which means a symbol or a family crest...

5 panels of noren made of asa (hemp) whose wefts and warps are hand-plied and vegetable indigo dyed. The top hem and belts are hand-spun and vegetable indigo dyed cotton. The beige stripes are cotton threads. In excellent condition. 19th century. 160cm x 138cm

Uchishiki which is one of temple decorations put under the altar. This one is made of "hangiri" (pants), which is one of No costumes. It is made of blue ground silk satin with "hiun and uroko" (flying cloud and fish scale) design with gold treads. It has kanji letters "Meiji 5 (1873)"in the back, however it is the date when it was dedicated, so the age of the cloth might have been from late Edo period. Real gold thread is woven for the design...

Large furoshiki made of hand-spun cotton with tsutsugaki design which are auspicious motifs, such as fukura suzume (sparrow), bamboo, pine tree. plum flower and scrolls. Vegetable indigo and natural brown dye. In good condition except for some brown color faded parts and a rip (2cm). The second half of the 19th century. 130cm x 140cm

A bag made of hand spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. It has a family crest, "Maru-ni-Yotsumebishi". It has lining made of also hand spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. The cord is hemp. In good condition but has some holes. The latter half of the 19th century. W:30.5cm, L:48cm

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...

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

Katsugi or Kazuki which is worn over the head down and fully covers the body, which is made of hemp, whose wefts and warps are hand-plied. Originally, the kazuki was worn by a noble woman when she went out from Heian to Kamakura period (about 9th to 13th century) over kimono. The collar is lowered to cover a head. This one is probably made in early Meiji period (the latter half of the 19th century) in Shonai region in Yamagata Prefecture and worn at the wedding...

Dochugi made of kudzu fiber for wefts and cotton yarn for warps. Dochugi is a kind of haori worn over kimono and kudzu-fu one is worn in summer. Kudzufu has been produced mainly in Kakegawa in Shizuoka prefecture since 13th century. It was used for hakama (pants), kamishimo and dochugi. The collar and one of straps of this dochugi are replaced. straps have damages and several pin holes in the back and a cut (3cm) in front. It has a slit for a sword in the left side...

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).

Bamboo basket container coated with urushi. It is handwoven of bamboo strips and covered with washi (Japanese handmade papaer), and then painted with black urushi. It has a label inside which says "Kataji kawago" which used to be a basket made of bamboo or wicker and covered with deer skin, or covered with washi later. It also says it was made in Ise in Mie Prefecture. It has vegetable indigo dyed washi lining. Generally in good condition but has many parts urushi came off, breaks and wear...

Two pieces of asa kaya cloth (hemp mosquito net. Warps and wefts are hand-plied and vegetable indigo dyed. Faded indigo blue and good condition. Late 19th century. 34cm x 2m80cm

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 piece of hand-spun cotton cloth with chrysanthemum pattern, whose ground cloth in green is dyed with vegetable indigo and vegetable yellow, but the dye of the reddish-brown mum pattern is not clear. In excellent condition. 19th century. W:32.5cm, L:130cm

Young woman's katabira (unlined kimono made of asa, hemp or ramie) with long sleeves. It is made of Echigo-chijimi, which was woven in Echigo region, now Niigata prefecture. It is handwoven of choma (ramie) whose wefts and warps are hand-plied, and the surface has light shrinkage from twisted warps and wefts. It has hand-painted flower motifs. The lining of collar cloth is thin silk, probably dyed with benibana (safflower). In excellent condition, no hole or no stain. 19th century...

Tatougami which was used at the pawnshop for wrapping pawned items. The name of the shop is "koyama Shichi-ten" and it has the shop's logo "小" in the square. It is a few layers of old washi (handmade paper) pasted together and painted with kakishibu (persimmon tannin) for strength and waterproof. Shichiya (pawn shop) appeared in Kamakura period and developed much in Edo period. 19th century. Top:82cm x 32cm, Bottom:82cm x 56cm

Cotton cloth with katazome (stencil-resist-dye) and dyed with pigments, which is called "wa-sarasa", Japanese chintz. It was produced from late Edo to early Meiji period. This one is "Sakai-sarasa", made in Sakai in Osaka. The second half of the 19th century. In excellent condition. W:34cm, L:120cm