Catalog (282)

Staff carved out of one piece of a hard species of wood. On the top crouches a female figure with long hair, the arms wrapped around her body. The tip is a lighter middle brown while the rest is patinated a dark brown. Probably used in Shamanistic rites in tribal regions. Himalayans.
Length 16.5 inches (42.5 cm).
Some cracks and chips, nice patina.

Large stoneware jar with multi-color dripping glaze over a creamy white crackled glaze. The green is the traditional green of earlier Shigaraki ware, the blue as well, but a variety of brown, red, pink and black have been added to the palette. Inside and bottom covered in brown glaze with yellow spots. Japan, early Showa, 1920-1930s.
Height 17 inches (43.2 cm), diameter at shoulder ca. 17 inches (43.2 cm).
Mint condition.

Small ovoid vase with short neck; lugs on two sides of the neck. Rich brown iron glaze over a gray-beige colored ceramic body, leaving the lower 1/3 part free.
Sawankhalok ware from Sukhothai, 15th -16th century. Or possibly Chinese, Jian yao, Song dynasty, 12th – 13th century
H 4.5 inches (11.2 cm).
Very good condition.

From an old private TX collection of high quality Japanese and Chinese ceramics and antiques

A pair of hanging scrolls. One depicting a beautiful young woman in a black kimono decorated with open fans; the other depicting a blue demon sitting in a gauze priest’s garment in front of a bronze bell on a stand, holding a hammer in one hand, a rosary in the other. Black ink, colors, gold on silk. Seals in the lower left and right corners: Kason. Seal of Suzuki Kason (1860-1919). Japan, Meiji period. Ivory scroll ends.
Comes with the original wooden box.
Painted areas: ca. 52.9 x 19.5 inches (134.4 x 49.5 cm); total length ca. 89.5 inches (227.3 cm)
Bijin painting with brown spots on lower part, bleeding onto the back. Upper roller of oni painting warped, sporadic brown spot on front, some spots on upper part of back.

Suzuki Kason was a nihonga painter from Edo, studying different types of painting, including ukiyoe style. At the first Bunten Exhibition (a juried art salon, established by the Ministry of Education to stimulate the traditional arts in Japan) in 1907 he received a prize and at the third Bunten Exhibition (1909) he received an honorable mention. He was member of the Imperial Fine Arts Academy. He is above all a fine painter of birds and flowers and landscapes. Woodblock prints with birds by Kason are well known. One of his better known pupils was Ohara Shoson/Koson, who was famous for his paintings and prints of animals, especially birds.

Hanging scroll with image in ink, red, gofun and gold on paper of the bodhisattva Fugen in twenty-armed form sitting on a lotus throne guarded by the four guardian kings each standing on the head of an elephant, the whole being carried by a crowd of elephants. The black outlines printed, the image subsequently colored by hand. To the lower left the name of the donor: Reiun Jogan. Japan, Muromachi period.
Painted area: 21.4 x 12.75 inches (54.3 x 32.2 cm). Total length: 56.25 inches (142.9 cm).
Several restored damages, consistent with its age.

Reddish brown shrine with three very fine sculptures: Benzaiten in the middle, to her right Daikoku, and Bishamon to her left. Benten is seated on a lotus, depicted in her 8-armed appearance, holding a jewel, her other attributes are lost. On her head a crown with jewels and the snake-shaped Ugajin. Bishamonten stands on a demon and holds a pagoda, his staff now lost. Daikoku stands on two rice bales and holds a hammer and a bag. All of them on separate rock shaped bases. Excellent carving with extremely fine painting. Japan, 18th century.
Height: 9.5 inches; width: 8.75 inches (24 x 22.2 cm).
On the back two old paper labels. One is the address label of B.H. Collins , Coins and Curios in Washington, DC. The other label is a catalogue description of this piece (with correction).
Inside: most attributes lost, otherwise very good condition. Box with finely engraved hardware: few traces of usage, mostly very good condition.

Eijer, Dieuwke, Kagamibuta, Mirrors of Japanese Life and Legend, The Baur Collection / Heinz Kaempfer Fund (Geneva / Leiden), 1994. 95 pages, numerous b/w and color illustrations. Extensive description of the history, materials, techniques of kagamibuta, its subject matter and kagamibuta makers, richly illustrated with excellent photos of pieces from the Baur Collection and from private collections. The appendix contains a list of kagamibuta makers with their signatures and biographic information.
New, in original shrink wrap.

Rare pair of shrine guardians in the shape of foxes, both sitting on a two tiered elevation. The right one holds a moving jewel in its mouth, the left one a stick. Middle brown, dense wood with a beautiful patina where hands touched the backs and heads of the foxes and the bases. Red staining on inside of ears, inside the mouths, in nostrils. Crystal eyes. Bases made of the same wood. Bases inscribed: Hono, Osaka, shinshachu (in faith of mankind); Hokkinin (sponsors), Osaka, Minami Horie, jogo: one base with the name Umezaki Jisaburo, the other with the name Shimezaka Jihei. The bottoms of the bases signed in black ink: Sowajima … minami … Shitakawa Yasujiro chokoku (carved by Shitakawa Yasujiro). Japan, Meiji period.
Height with base: ca. 27 in. (ca. 70 cm), height base: ca. 9 ¾ in. (ca. 25 cm).
Fox with jewel: short crack at right hindpaw, cracks in the body that show less or worse, depending on temperature/humidity, few abrasion and chips at feet. Fox with stick: cracks in the body that show less or worse, depending on temperature/humidity, few abrasion and chips at feet, stick of later date. All in all very good condition.

Minami Horie is a district in Osaka, west of the quarter of Minami, where the bunraku, kabuki and no theaters are. The pieces must have been standing in front of a Shinto shrine that no longer exists today.

Two stacks of each 5 flat boxes or trays for storing kozuka, fuchi-kashira or other small and flat objects, the tops both covered with a lid. Both stacks stand on a rectangular bottom plate, tied with a braided silk rope. Shitan (sandal wood). Meiji period, around 1900.
Bottom plate: 9 7/8 x 8 5/8 in. (25 x 21.8 cm). Each tray 8 3/8 x 4 ¾ x 1 1/16 in. (21.4 x 12.1 2.8 cm).
Bottom plate with split, traces of re-gluing at the trays, braid virtually worn down, minor warping of the sides of the trays, one short crack in one cover, one cover coming loose. All in all good condition with minor traces of usage.

Silk kimono decorated in yuzen technique with design of flowering stalks. Bamboo, cherry blossom and marigold. On the stalks small beetles crawl up. Outlines of flowers in silver. Inside partly lined with red silk. Japan, Showa period, mid 20th century.
Length 66 in. (168 cm), sleeve to sleeve 49 ½ in. (126 cm).
Few light stains, one torn seam at sleeve (ca. 2 in.), one small moth hole in seam of other sleeve, otherwise good condition.

Obi (sash) with design on both sides. One side taupe colored silk embroidered in brown, murasaki, pink, green and blue with a design of bamboo leaves and matsukawabishi. The other side decorated in silver and some colored silk on murasaki colored silk with an intricate design of a river bank with stone barricades, containers and vegetation: bamboo, pine, chrysanthemums and momiji. The end of the obi marked with two strokes of gold thread. Japan, early Showa period.
Length 151 ¾ in. (385.5 cm).
Two water stains on the taupe side of the obi. The gold threads that mark the end of theobi coming loose. Few silver threads coming looses. Generally good condition.

Japanese Buddhist scroll painting with the image of Amida raigo, the descent of Amida Buddha from the Western Paradise to earth. He comes down to transport the newly deceased devotee to the Western Paradise. In the middle Amida, to his right the bodhisattva Seishi, hands folded in prayer, to his left Kannon holding the lotus throne for transporting the deceased to Paradise. A ray of light comes from Amida’s urna. All three figures are standing on lotus thrones, floating on white clouds. They are surrounded by a dark indigo blue background with scattered flowers that seems to be tumbling around in the sky. The outlines of the figures finely done in red. The garments of all three decorated in very fine flower and geometric designs in gold. Japan, 18th century.
Painted area: 37 1/2 x 16 1/2 in. (95.3 x 41.9 cm). Total height: 75 1/2 in. (191.7 cm).
Some paint rubbed off (mainly in flowers), some scratches in blue background, partly retouched (minimally), basically very good condition. Modern, Chinese mounting.

Japanese Buddhist scroll painting with the image of Amida raigo, the descent of Amida Buddha from the Western Paradise to earth. He comes down to transport the newly deceased devotee to the Western Paradise. In the middle Amida, to his right the bodhisattva Seishi, hands folded in prayer, to his left Kannon holding the lotus throne for transporting the deceased to Paradise. Rays of light surround Amida’s head. All three figures are standing on one green and one pink lotus, floating on white clouds. They are surrounded by a dark brown background. The outlines of the figures finely done in dark gray or black. Two inscriptions in gold in the lower part. Gilt copper hardware with engraved lotus decoration. Japan, 17th century.
Painted area: 31 7/8 x 14 ¾ in. (2 x 38 cm). Total length 59 ½ in. (152.5 cm).
Silk slightly rubbed, damaged or thin at places (all small spots, hardly visible), one crease to Buddha’s right shoulder, one crease to his right, portly cracked open. Mounting of later date. All in all very good condition.
Comes with kiribako (inscribed 'Sanzon raigo butsu' and 'Shuso daishi tengan ….’ (sect founder, great Buddhist teacher, eye drops, …) ; and with two authentication papers, dated Meiji 16 and Meiji 23(?). One of the authentications dates the painting into the Genbun period (1730s).

Shrine with inside the figure of the bodhisattva Jizo. He sits on a lotus base, positioned on a rock, his left leg hanging down, the foot resting on a small lotus base. In his left hand he holds a sacred jewel, in the right he formerly held his staff. The rock is placed onto a six tiered hexagonal, elaborately decorated base. Inscription on back of case in ochre colored lacquer, indicating that inside is a sculpture of Jizo, that an offering of 6 to (108 liters ??) was made, that the name of the donator was Naga Nobumasa. Japan, Edo period, 17th/18th century.
Height of case: 14 inches (36.1 cm).
Case: lacquer chips at bottom plate (baring the underlying wood), partly touched up, some minor touch-ups at upper rim, lacquer dull. Basically in very good condition. Figure: lacquer cracks along the seams of the wood blocks (on the right side of his body), some minor lacquer chips and cracks, hardly visible and soot. Staff missing. Necklace broken, but more or less complete. All in all very good condition.

Shrine with the exquisite carving of the eleven headed Kannon, holding the vase with the flower in the left hand, a rosary in the right. Dark wood. The garment, finely carved with pleats and scarves, decorated in gold with flowers and geometric designs. On the crown 8 of the 11 heads (three missing), with individual faces. The accessories on the chest and the crown in gilded metal. Kannon is standing on a nine tiered base (six tiers hexagonal, three tiers, the lotus, are round). Excellent piece. Japan, Edo period, 18th century or earlier.
Case height 15 ¼ in. (39.5 cm).
Case: obvious traces of usage (lacquer rubbed and chipped on outside), repairs to the bottom, gold lacquer inside strongly rubbed and sooted, some flaking toward the bottom. Figure: Three heads on top missing, parts of crown and necklace missing, rosary broken off, the left foot broken and restored, tip of toe to right foot broken. Mandorla with some repairs, but basically complete. Some tiny chips to base. All in all very good and stable condition.

More photos of case on request.

Finely carved wooden figure of Gyochu Kishimojin, the hands folded together in prayer, standing on an upside down lotus leaf, positioned on a rocky base. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. The base and the lotus gilded over lacquer. Inscribed on back: Kishibojin, opening of the eyes, Nichiren. Inscribed in black ink on bottom of lotus leaf: Hirono Naomasa. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Height without base 7 ¼ in. (18.3 cm).
Left foot missing, left hand pinky finger broken, chip at left sleeve, few minor old chips at edges, basically good and stable condition.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282.

Plain wooden sculpture of the founder of the Nichiren sect. He is sitting, holding both his hands with the palms up. He is positioned on a rectangular elevation, decorated with water whirls and gilded over lacquer on the sides. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. On the back in black ink inscription reading "Nichiren". On the bottom inscription in black ink, partly covered by paper. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height 4 11/16 in. (12.2 cm).
Crack into his left thigh, cracks in the back of his neck and in the upstanding part of his garment (back), partly filled in and stabilized. Part of left hand thumb missing.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282

Plain wooden sculpture of the deity Shichimen Daimyojin. She is sitting on the top of mount Shichimen, crossing her left leg over the right, holding a jewel in her left hand. She is positioned on a rectangular elevation, painted green on top and gilded over lacquer on the sides. Behind her a jewel decorated nimbus. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. Crown of gilded metal. On the back in black ink inscription reading ‘Nichiren’. On the bottom inscription in black ink, reading ‘Kaneda[mura], Hirono Naomasa’. On the bottom of the base an inscription in black ink reading: Koshu, Yashiro gun, Kaneda mura, Hirono Asajiro Naomasa. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height without base 7 ½ in. (18.8 cm).
Crack into at the front, sword missing, parts of crown missing, otherwise very good condition.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282.