Catalog (355)

Antique Tibetan Buddhist tsakli miniature painting, considered to be an important visual aid for monks in training when conferring empowerments. This tsakli painting depicts the fierce deity Mahakala, wearing a tiger's pelt and elephant skin, with decapitated heads strung around his waist. In his hands he holds a kapala skull cup containing the elixir of life and a kartika or ritual flaying knife. He also holds close to his body a khatvanga or ritual staff with three human heads at the upper end...

Japanese Buddhist scroll painting of Eight Armed Kannon , the bodhisattva of compassion, seated in a lotus position. In her other seven arms she holds a staff, a trident, a bow and arrows, a Dharma wheel, and other attributes with symbolic meaning.

Standing figures are arranged below the seated Kannon, each holding various offerings for the bodhisattva such as rice, sake, dumplings, silk fabrics, and other material objects. Among the figures is the immortal Lucky God Daikoku, wiel...

Antique Korean painting, very tall and narrow, of a pair of phoenix birds, one occupying the upper portion of the painting and the other one on the bottom. The lower phoenix emerges from water as shown by a blossoming lotus. The rest of the space surrounding both birds is filled with robust peony blossoms of different color. Painted in rich mineral colors on paper. Later put into a custom lacquered wood frame.

The magical phoenix is called Bonghwang in Korea. The double phoenix s...

Japanese Edo Period scroll painting of a yamabushi, a mountain ascetic hermit or holy man. Often believed to be endowed with supernatural powers, the yamabusi follow the Shugendo doctrine, a religion that places heavy emphasis on feats of endurance. Throughout history, they have participated in battles along side samurai. In this painting, the warrior/sage is leaning on a walking stick. He is dressed only in leaves and animal skins. A hyotan gourd tokkuri flask hangs from a chord slung...

Antique Tibetan painted traveling trunk (also known as a Yak butter trunk) used to store and transport religious yak butter sculptures and artifacts. The main image shows a flaming jewel while the surrounding painting shows an octagonal foliated grid pattern. The fractal design shows an infinite repetition of the Mandala shapes and patterns. Decorated with the arrow shaped mounts along the edges. The polychrome on wood is all original.

Age: 18th Century

Dimensions: 28 1/4" W...

Antique Indian miniature painting of Adharanishvara, the combination of the God Shiva and his consort Parvati in one body. The half male, half female represents the union of opposites, the universal principles: masculine, Purusha and feminine, Prakriti. In this painting, Parvati is easily identified by her beauty and crown. Shiva is identified by the snake the encircle both their neck, his tiger cloth, and his long hair which is secured on top of his head. As traditional, the couple...

Antique Japanese two-panel Byobu folding screen painting of a pair of Pheasants (male and female) and their chick. The male stands on a craggily rock with blooming Peonies nearby and Weeping trees in the background.

The Pheasant is a messenger of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and represents power, abundance, promise, and duty to the family while the family itself represents marital bliss. The Peony symbolizes happiness, wealth and beauty while the old jagged rock and the old truck of the Pe...

Antique Chinese scroll painting by the artist, Ting Hsi Chiang (1669-1732). A pair of colorful kingfisher birds fly amidst the blossoming branches of a white peony bush and delicate sprays of white and yellow daisies Painted in ink and mineral colors on silk. There is calligraphy and a signature with seal in the upper left hand side.

Age: Kangxi or Yongzheng Dynasty (17th century)

Dimensions: Total size of scroll: 73" high x 19 5/8" wide (22" wide with rollers). Size of a...

Antique Two panel Japanese byobu screen depicting the first frost at waters edge. Japanese herons and mandarin ducks contently rest and foliage with a light dusting of snow screen depicted on the late white plumb blossom tree. Three ducks rest and warm themselves beneath the near barren tree. A pair of Japanese herons are seem amoungst the water with sprouted bamboo and flowering water lilly. In Japan the white heron is known to be able to move between three elements air, earth and water. T...

Japanese two panel painted byobu (screen) depicting a winters evening with resting pair of mandarin ducks siting amongst the late blooming roses at waters edge. A pair of song birds sitting within the white hydrangeas. A banana tree is shown with Painted on silk with flecked fold paper, silk brocade, and black lacquered frame.

Mandarin ducks are regarded as symbols of love, happiness, and marital fidelity because they are believed to be monogamous.
Birds have long been a ...

Antique Japanese 4-panel small screen painting of landscape. Mountain landscape with rocky outcroppings, huts and trees on the edge of a wide expanse of water. A group of scholars contemplate a water fall. More figures sit outside waterside huts. A lone figure fishes from a boat. Painted in ink and light colors on paper. Signed Unkoku Toeki (1591-1644).
Unkoku Toeki was the second son of Unkoku Tōgan. (1547–1618), heir to the artistic legacy and patrons of Sesshû Tōyō (1420–15...

Splendid and majestic Japanese landscape painting showing a pavillion with a large scholar's rock and pine tree. Scroll contains a signature attributing to Sesshu Toyo but may have been added later. Age: Momoyama Period. Size: Scroll: Height: 74.25" Width: 18.3" (with roller ends): 20.5"

Beautiful antique painting of Hotei (also known as Budi or the Laughing Buddha), possibly depicted in his Dharmalaya body. He is shown sitting comfortably on a wooden bridge as men and women in gold straw hats walk by. Hotei is one of the Seven Lucky Gods in Japanese culture and is revered for his happiness and the luck that he brings. Set in glass and framed, 17th/18th century. Size: (entire frame) 19" height, 16.5" width (painting only) 9.5" height, 7.5" width

Antique painting of Hotei/Budai/The Laughing Buddha, standing with a walking stick, and four seated people. They are all observing the sky as what appears to be another Buddha or deity floats on a heavenly cloud, who wears a beautiful robe with gold detailing. Set behind glass and framed, 17th/18th century. Size: (entire frame) 19" height, 16.25" width (painting only) 9.5" height, 7.75" width

Antique 2-panels screen painting from the interior of a wealthy home in Momoyama Period Japan. Each of these two rectangular shaped panels is painted with a fan shaped reserve. The fan on the left panel is painted with a branch of blossoming white flowers, possibly dogwood and is shadowed by another blue and gold fan shaped reserve. The fan on the right panel is painted in ink with a bird on a branch and shadowed with a green and gold fan. Both fan reserves are painted over a brilliantly col...

Antique Japanese scroll painting depicting a dead man being whisked away in a flaming carriage bound for hell. He is escorted by three demons brandishing weapons and pulling the cart through clouds of smoke. A section of the poem translates as "whether old or young, rich or poor [...] on the fiery carriage..." Painted and signed by the artist Kawamura Jakushi (1638-1707) with a verse possibly written by Banjisei. Kawamura Jakushi was closely associated with the powerful Ryuzoji Family in Sa...

Henrietta Berk (1919-1990) was an American artist who specialized in expressive oil paintings of landscape and figures in vibrant colors using bold brush strokes. She graduated from California College of Arts and Crafts in 1959 where she studied with Richard Diebenkorn and became a part of the Bay Area Figurative Movement. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout California including the San Francisco Museum of Art, Oakland Art Museum, and de Young Museum.
This p...

A Chinese scroll painting of a dramatic scholar's rock surrounded by mist by the artist Li Yong (b. 1966). Painted in ink on paper. Large painting with signature and two seals. Age: Dated 2014

Dimensions: Size of scroll: 72" high x 39" wide (42 1/2" including rollers). Size of art: 37 1/2" high x 37 1/2" wide