Catalog: Vintage Arts: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (85)

Mashiko ware vase with long neck coated in black glaze, and overglaze painting of camelia flowers on body, ca. 1960's. H.48cm(19") x Dia.23cm(9"). A fine example of vintage Mashiko ware that might have graced the tokonoma of a local Mashiko family home, this vase conveys an elegant shape while retaining its simple rustic background. Mashiko wares became popular through the work of National Living Treasure Hamada Shoji, who settled in this agricultural pottery town in the 1920's...

Outer kimono of kasuri (ikat) woven dark indigo-dyed cotton in pattern known as botan-kasuri (peony ikat.) Inner lining is a printed fabric depicting heroic imagery related to Chushingura, the saga of the 47 Ronin; snowy pine trees, helmets, drums, and the retainers themselves...

Vintage Mashiko-yaki Oozara (large plates) for serving or for dinner plates. Diameter: 10.875" (25.5cm) x Height: 1.5" (3.75cm.) Five different hand-brush-drawn designs on seven plates featuring, flowers, fish, bamboo, and trees (see all enlargements.) The designs were quite modern interpretations of traditional designs when they were contemporary. They are very sturdy in form and design...

Kokeshi, Yamagata-kei, Yamagata Prefecture, by Kobayashi Seijiro. Birth date=Taisho 7 (1917) July 14. H.11.75” x Dia.2”(30 x 5 cm). Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures...

Kokeshi, Togatta-kei, Miyagi Prefecture, by Satou Tetsurou. Birthdate = Showa 7 (1932) Jan. 25. H.11.75” x Dia.1.5”(30 x 4.5 cm) Dated (collector's date): 55.5.27 = 1980. Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures...

Kokeshi, Yajiro-kei, Miyagi Prefecture, by Niiyama Keiimi (a rare kokeshi made by a woman.) H.12”(30.5cm) x Dia.1.875”(4.75cm.) Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures...

Kokeshi, Tsuchiyuu-kei, Fukushima Prefecture, by Jinnohara Kazunori. H.11.75” x Dia.1.75” (30cm x 4.5cm.) Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures...

Kokeshi, Tsuchiyuu-kei, Fukushima Prefecture, by Abe Ichiro. H.11.5”(29cm) x Dia.1.75”(4.5cm.) Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures...

Kokeshi, Yajiro-kei, by Niiyama Shinji, Miyagi Prefecture. H.9.5” x Dia.1.25”. Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures...

Kokeshi, Naruko-kei, Miyagi Prefecture, by Itou Shouichi. H.9.5” x Dia.1.875” ca. 1970-1980. Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures...

Kokeshi, Sakunami-kei, Miyagi Prefecture, by Hiraga Teruyuki. Showa 47 (1972) March 1. H.11.75” x Dia.1.5”(24 x 3.25 cm) Inscription: Nagoya Kokeshi-kai, nihyaku kai, Hesei 7-gatsu, 9-nichi. (Nagoya Kokeshi Club, 200th Meeting, July 9, 1995) Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region...

Kokeshi, Togatta-kei, by Satou Jirou, Miyagi Prefecture. Birth date = Taisho 4 (1915) July 13. H.9.5” x Dia.1.375”(24 x 3.5 cm) Dated: 59-sai (59 yrs old)=1974. Dentou, or "traditional," kokeshi hail from the northeastern part of Japan known as the Tohoku region. Tohoku is comprised of Aomori, Akita, Yamagata, Iwate, Miyagi, & Fukushima Prefectures. They are colorfully painted (or bare, in the case of one Nambu-kei kokeshi from Iwate) wooden dolls of female gender that have been around si...

Kashigata (wooden sweet mold,) kanji characters "Daiou" (Great) motif; Japan, early 20th C. 2-piece Paddle-type mold to make 5 sweets. L.16.75"(42.5cm) x W.2.375"(6cm) x H.1"(2.5cm.) "Daiou" could be symbolic of any type of "greatness," but was most likely a reference to the country during the Japanese Imperial era. Sweet molds, “kashigata,” have been a part of confectionary culture around the world. Well-known examples in Asia come from Japan, China, Korea, and Indonesia. In Europe; co...

Kasuri Kimono "te-ui ai ji e-gasuri koushigara kimono" (Hand-woven indigo dye picture ikat lattice [checked] pattern kimono.) Yanagi Yoshitaka (7.25.1911 ~ 8.20.2003) Cotton, ikat weave. L.60 x W.48” ca. 1955 Yanagi Yoshitaka was a well-known Japanese weaver and textile educator. He was the nephew of Folk Craft Movement (Mingei Undou) founder Yanagi Soetsu, and was a founding member of Shin-Kougei Bu (New Crafts Club) along with his uncle and the potter Hamada Shoji. His entire lif...

Hamada Shoji saku (made by Shoji Hamada,) Ryuukyuu Kamado (Okinawa Kiln,) Aka-e Chawan (Red overglaze enamel Tea Bowl,) 1972. H. 3”(7.75cm) x Dia. 4.5”(11.5cm.) Footring diameter 2”(5cm.) Weight 13.5oz(384g.) Signed wooden box included. Okinawan motif and color palette (red, green, ochre on white background) on bowl with 9 facets around (see enlargement #2, bottom view.) Small areas of glaze loss around rim (see enlargement photos & comments below) measuring from 30mm to 2.5cm in length. M...

Hamada Shoji saku (made by Shoji Hamada,) Ryuukyuu Kamado (Okinawa Kiln,) Aka-e Chawan (Red overglaze enamel Tea Bowl,) 1972. H. 3”(7.75cm) x Dia. 4.5”(11.5cm.) Footring diameter 2”(5cm.) Weight 13.5oz(384g.) Signed wooden box included. Okinawan motif and color palette (red, green, ochre on white background) on bowl with 9 facets around (see enlargement #2, bottom view.) Small areas of glaze loss around rim (see enlargement photos & comments below) measuring from 30mm to 2.5cm in length....

Kasuri Kimono. Kumejima, Okinawa Prefecture; ca. 1960. "Kumejima kasuri dorozome ni gyoku kasuri" (ikat, mud-dyed, 2 pattern per panel, kasuri kimono from Kumejima [an island of Okinawa Prefecture.]) L.60 x W.48” Kumejima tsumugi (Kumejima Silk Pongee) The stylized patterns depicted are described by the following Okinawan words: (squares) taachi busaa, (rectangles) mimichikitou “pig trough”, (lattice/check) kujiri koushi, (zig zag) miji fuu “water clouds”. The color ...

Woodblock Print of Traditional Japanese Folk Potteries by Serizawa Keisuke. Issued by Nihon Mingeikan (Japan Folk Craft Museum) in 1970. H. 20"(51cm) x W. 26"(66cm.) Excellent colors, light toning to paper. Printed text in Japanese. See also SK-1 in English. Keisuke Serizawa (5/13/1895 - 4/5/1984) was designated a Ningen Kokuho (National Living Treasure) in 1956 for his work in katazome stencil dyeing. He spent considerable time studying Ryuukyuu Bingata techniques in Okinawa and this influen...