Catalog (283)

A row of begging monks with bowls, hossu and ruyi scepters, emaciated into skeletons. At the end walks a cat skeleton. Black ink and some color on paper. Signed and sealed. Unidentified artist. Japan, early 20th century.
Image 50 ¾ x 19 in. Total length 75 ½ in.
Excellent condition.

Comes with wooden storage box (not inscribed).

Hanging scroll. The eight-armed deity, bearing arms and jewels, and a coiled snake (the deity Ugajin) on her head, sits on a lotus-leaf-seat, flanked by Daikoku. Before her are the 15 disciples, or jugo doji. Ink, mineral colors, gold and gofun on silk. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Painted area: H 37 in. x W 15 in.
Mounting severely damaged. Painting with few horizontal crack in middle section and short one at the upper left, gofun rubbed, all in all very good original condition (no restorations).
Comes with wooden storage box (no inscription, not original)

Hanging scroll. A circle on a black background, divided into ten sections around a white central circle that holds the character ‘shin’, meaning heart or soul. The ten sections represent the ten realms that are the ten possibilities of rebirth. On top the four realms of enlightened beings: Buddhas, Boshisattvas, arhats and pratyeka Buddhas. Underneath, the six realms (rokudo): Heavenly beings, humans, Bellicose demons (Ashura), animals, hungry ghosts and hell. Ink, mineral colors, gofun and gold on paper. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

Image: 29.25 x W 21 inches. Mounting: 44.25 x 26.5 inches. Silver scroll ends decorated with cut out peonies on rocks mounted over a sentoku core.

Punch hole in bottom, stabilized by mounting, few small rubbed spots, dent in scroll end.

Half portrait of Daruma in bold strokes of gray and black. Lower right signature Isshin hitsu and two seals. Black and gray ink on paper. Painted area 36 ½ x 8 ½ inches. Toned, some horizontal creases, repaired missing area at lower middle. Celluloid scroll ends.

Feel free to ask for more pictures.

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).

Hanging scroll. A dragon shoots upwards through the clouds. Its head clearly visible, pointing straight up, the tail faintly disappearing in the darkness of the sky. Black ink on silk. Very skillful use of many shades of black and gray. Signed and dated in the lower left: Bunka year of the dog (1814), Fuyu and artist’s red seal Rintai.
Japan

Image: H 52.5 x W 20 in. Mounting: H 81.5 x W 25 in. (lower roller 27.25 in. wide)

Mounting in excellent condition, painting too.

Hanging scroll. Summer scene. Fireflies flying over fast streaming water and resting on a rock and overhanging leaves.
Black ink, light mineral colors and gold wash on silk.
Signed Bunrin; seal Bunrin and seal Shion.

Japan, Meiji era, 1870s.

Image H 49 x W 19.5 in.; total height 76.25 in.

Gold slightly oxidized, otherwise fine condition.

Comes with wooden storage box, inscribed Bunrin hitsu hotaru no zu Shiokawa ...

Shiokawa Bunrin (1808-1877). Shijo painter, Kyoto. Pupil of Okamoto Toyohiko. Learned nanga painting and western style painting. Specialized in landscapes.

A pair of six-panel screens from 1874 signed by Bunrin and dealing with the exact same subject matter and same color scheme, is located in the Nelson Atkins Museum in Kansas City, object numbers 74-12/1 and 74-12/2

Hanging scroll. The founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism in Japan, Kobo daishi (774-835), seated at a priest’s seat, holding a vajra and a rosary in his hands.
His shoes and a ewer stand underneath his chair.
Ink, mineral colors and gold on silk.
Japan, 19th century.

Painted area: ca. 34.7 x 15.95 inches (93.1 x 40.4 cm); total length 65.2 inches (165.5 cm)

Scratch through upper part, few horizontal dull creases, basically good condition. Mounting with damage.

Kobo daishi is the posthumus name of Kukai. Kukai was a Buddhist monk, a civil servant, engineer, scholar, a poet, artist and calligrapher. As part of a government sponsored expedition to China in 804, Kukai was allowed to study Chinese Buddhism in Ximing Temple in Chang’an (today’s Xi’an). In 805 he met Master Huiguo (746–805) who initiated him into Chinese Esoteric Buddhism.

Hanging scroll. Various insects walking in line with luggage, simulating a lord (daimyo) traveling with his entourage to or from the capital (samurai or daimyo gyoretsu). A butterfly, suzumushi, praying mantises, yellow jackets and grass hoppers are traveling in a line, holding flowers and grasses for keyari, carrying a honeycomb for a palanquin, and berries for luggage.
Black ink and colors on silk.
Signed Bunrei; two red seals reading bun and rei.
Japan, mid 19th / second half 19th century.

Painted area: 14.5 x 20.2 inches. Total height: 46.5 inches.

Painting with some light stains, otherwise in excellent condition, mounting damaged.

Mori Bunrei (Meiji era painter) was the adopted son and pupil of Mori Ippo (1798-1871), the Shijo painter. His style and technique closely follow those of Ippo.
A very similar painting by Nishiyama Hoen (1804-1867) is in the British Museum. This type of painting is typical for the Maruyama/Shijo school and could have originated with Maruyama Okyo. The image of a procession walking out of the painting symbolizes the fading away of Edo culture in the 19th century.

Hanging scroll. Portrait of probably Sugawara no Michizane, sitting in court dress - a black garment with a long white sash - holding a wooden mace. The black garment, with red liner, is delicately decorated with flowers between waving lines. The sash also decorated with stylized flower shapes.

Tosa style. Signature at bottom: Yuho Issho ga. Red seal: Issho no in.

Colors on silk.

Japan, early 19th century.

Painted area: 23 5/16 x 10 13/16 in. (39.7 x 27.9 cm).
Total length 57 in. (146.5 cm).

Three restored holes in silk (not in image), otherwise very good condition. Mounting fairly modern and in excellent condition. Bone scroll ends.

Comes with a fitting kiribako of a later date.

Sugawara Michizane (845-903) was a Heian period scholar, poet, politician of lower nobility. He was deified as Tenjin-same, god of the sky and storms, later as a god of education/scholarship. The Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine in Kyoto was dedicated to him by the imperial court.

Hanging scroll. Portrait of Minamoto no Tsunemoto, sitting on a tiger skin before his sword, dressed in a white garment over his armor. Ink, colors, gofun and gold sprinkle on silk. Dated mizunoe ne (1852), early summer. Signed Gyokurei Omoto and two seals.
Image H 45 ½ x W 20 in.; total height: 80 ¼ in.

Comes with fitted kiri-wood storage box inscribed, dated 1852 and signed Ono Gyokurei.

Minamoto no Tsunemoto (894-961) was an imperial prince who received the family name Minamoto. Founder of the family that brought forth Minamoto, Ashikaga and Tokugawa shogun. He was a fine poet, as well.

Ono Gyokurei (1807-1870) was active in the bakumatsu era (end of Edo period). Not in Roberts.

Hanging scroll. Shoki holds Futen’s wind bag which balloons around him and protects him from a very light rain. While Shoki has his hands full trying to control the wind bag, his bulging eyes are rolled in defeat and annoyance towards the right, where a little demon who has a Chinese mortar on his head and holds the pestle in its hand jumps in front of him.
Ink and color on silk.
Signed and red artist’s seal.
Japan, Taisho or early Showa era, 1920s-1930s.

Image: H 43.25 x W 16.5 in.
Mounting: H 76.5 x W 21.5 in.
W scroll ends: 23.5 in.

Light brown stains in the backing paper. All in all very good condition.

The deity Shomen Kongo standing on a demon in front of a flaming halo. In front of him a rooster and a chicken and a monkey with a gohei. Ink and colors on paper. Painted area 25 x 11 inches. Several horizontal creases due to rolling, several small missing areas, all backed and partly retouched. New mounting in Chinese style. Overall stable condition.

Feel free to ask for additional photos.

Hanging scroll. Black ink, light colors and gofun on paper.
Painting of the demon of Rashomon stealing back his severed arm from Watanabe no Tsuna. Excellent use of dry-brush technique.
Signed: Yoshimitsu saku, seal Hoko. Japan, Taisho/Showa era.
Newly mounted with original embroidered brocade.
Image: 24 x 12.5 inches.
Total length: 58 inches.

Few old water stains on brocade, few tiny stabilized damages in paper, some damage to embroidery, all in all very good condition.

Hanging scroll. Cropped image of a fierce looking tiger. Black ink on paper. Signed Shusen Genyu sha. Seal Wata-in Shusen and seal .. Genyu. Japan, late 18th or early 19th century. Collector’s (?) seal in lower right corner.
Image H 49 ¾ x 10 ¾ in.; total height 74 in.
Professionally restored damages; now in excellent condition.

Comes with fitting kiri-wood storage box, inscribed.

Watanabe Shusen (1736-1824) – Nagasaki painter. Pupil of Ishizaki Gensho and Ishizaki Gentoku. Painted landscapes, birds-and-flowers, figures and tigers. (Roberts). A very similar painting by the same artist is known to exist.

A “wood-grain carving” figure of a minogame, a turtle with a long tail of algae growing from its carapace. Carved out of Jindai-sugi (Japanese cedar wood) in such a way that the wood grain accentuates the skin on the legs and head, the protrusions of the carapace and the algae.

Unsigned. Meiji era, early 20th century, Japan

L 18 x W 8.25 x H 3.75 in.

Few scuffs and dents that do not disturb the beauty of the piece.

Jindai sugi wood is old wood from the Japanese cedar that is said to be a thousand to several thousand years old, found buried in lake beds or marshes. The iron content of the wood gives it a deep grey-brown sometimes black, rich color. Most of the carvings made of jindai sugi are toads. Any other animal imaged in this wood is relatively rare.

A minogame is a turtle with long strands of algae growing from its shell. The way the algae flow down from the shell, they resemble a farmer’s raincoat made of straw, called a mino. Hence the name minogame. In order to grow such algae, the turtle is considered to be extremely old. It is considered a symbol of longevity.

Study of an elephant holding a piece of wood with its trunk, his skin hanging loosely about him. Dark brown patinated, light weight wood, the eyes inlaid in buffalo horn, the tusks bone. Japan, 19th century.
Length: 15.5 inches (39.1 cm)
Pupil to one eye missing, otherwise fine condition.

Set of three large identical keman, made of gilt bronze. Decorative hangings from a Buddhist temple.

Each keman is fan-shaped (or perhaps boar's eye-shaped) with a design of two pairs of double chrysanthemum family crests set between karakusa (winding weeds) in openwork. The knotted cord in the center is executed in gilt bronze repoussé (hollow underneath). The openwork design is very carefully executed, with engraved details and nanako ground.
The ‘saddles’ are decorated with kiku-mon between karakusa, in low relief.

From the bottom of each keman three solid brass balls are suspended, which may be original, or may be replacements for streamers.

The family crests each contain a 16-petaled chrysanthemum, two of which hold a double plum blossom in the center. The double chrysanthemum could point to a family relation with the imperial family. The keman were probably hanging in a family temple.

Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

H 10.75 x W 14 in. (27.8 x 35.6 cm).
H incl. ring and balls 15 in. (38.1 cm)

Some of the eyelets from which the balls were dangling are broken, gilding rubbed (on the reverse the gilding is better preserved than on the front), otherwise excellent condition.