Two characters on this Japanese banner are Yoshitsune (Minamoto family) and Noritsune (Taira family). It was towards end of the Genpei War (1180-1185), Yoshitsune (Minamoto family) flying high on the top escaping the attack of Noritsune (Taira family). Yoshitsune was said to hopped eight boats at this scene...

Japanese Koto Cover featuring a magnificent Phoenix. The Koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument. This Koto Cover was for an important Koto player. A textile of this quality rarely comes along for sale. Beatifully hand painted with some embroidery on fine silk. Really a work of art. 96 x 13.5 inches, 244 x 34 cm. Excellent Condition. From a prominent and widely exhibited collection.

Framed 19th Century Japanese Late Edo Period Embroidery of a Phoenix. Wonderful and elaborate master needle work with beautiful use of soft colored silk threads accented with gold silk threads. This a rare find for the Japanese textile collector. This was part of the Morris collection, which is housed in the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts. It is framed with a Victorian era frame. 26.5 inches (67 cm)w x 25 inches (63.5 cm)h...

Japanese antique gift cover, fukusa, with the design of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune (Shichi Fuku Jin), tsuzure-ri tapestry weave with wide borders (1 3/4"). The liner is made of chirimen crepe silk, Meiji period (1868-1912), 26 1/4" W x 29 1/2"L

This is a beautiful fukusa even with obvious stains. It shows the quality and professional workmanship everywhere. This fukusa is woven in tsuzure-ori...

Unique old Japanese yogi (kimono-shaped futon bed cover) from Kaga, a weeping willow tree with a butterfly family crest, 57" x 72", Meiji Period (1868-1912).

Kaga, located in today's Kanazawa prefecture area, was known as "Kaga One-million Koku", the wealthiest domain next to the Tokugawa Shogun family during the Edo period (1603-1868). Each domain was assessed its wealth measured by "koku." Most samurai received stipends in koku...

Antique Japanese maiwai, katazome stencil dye on cotton, padded and in excellent condition, 51"(4'2") x 51", circa Meiji (1868-1912) to Taisho period (1912-1926). This maiwai is old but has been well maintained, pretty clean condition without any odor. One damaged area (did not go through to the liner) was repaired with very small stitches (photo #9). The photo #10 shows the area before it was repaired with stitches and filled with red color...

Japanese baby's first formal kimono (miyagi), hawk on a pine tree hand painted in sumi-e (black ink) on silk, 32 1/2" W x 41" L.

This type of kimono is used during a newborn's first visit to the shrine. The ritual takes place about one month after his birth. Traditionally, the kimono was sent by the mother's side of the family to their daughter's new family, bearing the family crest of the husband's side...

This is a "kataginu" (shoulder cloth), only the upper vest of kamishimo without trousers. Kami-shimo simply means top and bottom in Japanese. It was a high ranking samurai's formal attire when they attended official meetings at the Edo castle. It was worn over a kosode (kimono with small sleeves) with trousers. The shoulders are arch shaped and this was the style that developed in the late Edo period (1603-1868). Longer trousers (approx. 1.5 times longer) were chosen for special occasions...

Antique silk Kesa, an outer garment worn by Japanese Buddhist priests, cotton liner, padded with paper, late Edo to early Meiji period. Dimensions: 76 1/2" x 43 1/2"

This is a Japanese fukusa, a gift cover with the design of the “Eight Views of Omi”. In the beginning of the 16th century, eight scenic spots in Omi (Shiga, Japan) were selected by closely following the Chinese “The Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers”...

Early 1900 Japanese silk fukusa featuring a turtle and a crane. Techniques used to create this wonderful fukusa are sumi-e hand painting, yuzen resist dying, some embroidery, and gold foil couching. On the reverse is red rinzu silk with crane and mons motif. Two original tassels are still intact at the bottom. There is a small cluster of tiny gray spots by the crane, see last photo. Otherwise, in very good condition/excellent, it measures 25” wide x 27” high.

This is a fabulous woven silk fukusa designed with Japanese tastes in mind. It is woven in silk with the addition of gold lacquered silk threads. Each of the four corners has four turtle tassels. The reverse side is red with a gold paulownia mon also woven with god threads. This is a very striking piece and makes a superb interior design statement. In excellent condition, it measures 24.5” square. We date this to mid-Showa.

Japanese antique fukusa, a gift cover embroidered with "The Old Couple of Takasago" on wool (rasha, felt like), padded and lined with orange crepe silk, Meiji period (1868-1912).

The story of the old couple, Jo and Uba, came from the Noh play, Takasago, which was written during the Muromachi period (1336-1573) by Zeami. Jo and Uba were spirits who resided in an old pine tree which was two trees that grew together over the years...

Beautiful art work of Tosa Mitsutoki* embroidered with a theme from the Noh play "Takasago" on an antique fukusa, a Japanese gift cover. The signature, seal and other characters are embroidered. To find a signature on a fukusa from this period (late Edo) is very rare; in fact, I have never seen one...

There is no visible image of God in Japanese Shinto religion. For this reason, people find the spirit of God in their surroundings, especially in nature. In the noh play “Takasago”, an old couple is seen together on the beach of Takasago (today’s Hyogo prefecture) sweeping pine needles under the trees. The old man Jo and old woman Uba are the spirits of the pine trees that were grown in Takasago and Sumiyoshi. The two trees are located far away but they are together with their spirits. ...

The pine, bamboo and plum blossoms are all auspicious motifs found in nature. The evergreen pine symbolizes the strength and devotion of men; plum blossoms are the purity, subtle beauty and inner strength of women. Bamboos are often used to describe the personality of men and women; for example, a person being as straight (honest) as bamboo, it could also mean flexible (bendable) to a large extent. When pine (matsu, SHO), bamboo (take, CHIKU) and plum blossoms (ume, BAI) are put together, they a...

Old Japanese nobori banner, a spectacular wall hanging decor piece, circa 1920-1940. Dyed on thick cotton is the farewell scene of *Kusunoki Masashige with his son, Masatsura at Sakurai station. The scroll handed to his son is a will written for the family before he headed to the last battle.

This type of picturesque banner has been used for the Japanese Boy’s Day since late Edo period. Some are still made today but the quality has changed; most of the new noboris are printed. The whit...

Antique Japanese Fukusa (gift cover), an old Chinese koto player by a waterfall. Embroidered on silk satin, lined with soft crepe silk, circa 1800s. 27 1/2" x 30 1/2"

A large cloud moves in and stirs the air in the forest. Water falls to the river as if it were falling from the sky and ripples it to shore. The resonance of the koto breaks the silence of the forest. The design on this fukusa is likely to have come from one of the old Chinese poems. This Chinese man can be Lin Bu (967...