Hanten, called "suzukake" worn by a Shugen-sha or Yamabushi who practiced Shugendo. Shugendo is the Japanese unique religion combining Buddhism, Shintoism, and worship of nature (mountains). A practitioner (shugen-sha) trained himself in the holy mountains that is ascetic and very painstaking. It is made of hemp and weft of is hand-plied but warp is machine-spun...

Hanten, called "suzukake" worn by a Shugen-sha or Yamabushi who practiced Shugendo. Shugendo is the Japanese unique religion combining Buddhism, Shintoism, and worship of nature (mountains). A practitioner (shugen-sha) trained himself in the holy mountains that is ascetic and very painstaking. This one is made of asa (hemp) and both warp and weft are hand-plied...

An antique Japanese Kaidan Tansu (stair chest) in 2 sections made of Hinoki (Cypress), Aka Matsu (Red Pine) and Suginoki (Cryptomeria) woods. Original hand forged iron hardware including the stylized Hirute handles. 7 steps with an added riser at the top. Each step is a short 5" long with a 10 1/4" riser and a left to right incline. 4 drawers with a hinged door for spacious storage...

A Japanese Porcelain food bowl and cover, 19th century.

The delicate porcelain bowl decorated with breaking waves, autumnal maple leaves and chrysanthemum flowers. Within the foot-rim is a coloured ‘clove’ mark. The lid, of similar design, sports a splendid flowerhead knop.

Approximately 15.2 cm diameter. Generally in good state but with some stained crazing. The rim of the bowl has small flakes filled with white...

An unusual Arita wall-vase, kakehana, circa 1750. The seed-shaped hollow body is moulded with trailing vines supporting a dragonfly. The painter has used two different greens, aubergine, yellow and black. The unglazed back is pierced for suspension. It is probable that this kakehana was made for the home market.

In 52 years of business I have found only two of these unusual vases, this one I kept for my collection.

Approximately 16.7cm long...

Shotei Takahashi (Hiroaki) (1871-1945)
Riverside at Furukawa
Series: Famous Views of the Eastern Capital
Date: Pre-1923.
Size: 10 x 5 inches.
Shotei seal at lower right.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Reference: S-81 in Shotei catalog.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Two small pieces of tape at back margin. Left margin has spot.
- The blocks for this rare print were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923.

Takahashi Shotei
Drawing up seawater under moonlight.
The figures are engaged in saltmaking, likely at Suma Beach
Date: pre-1936.
Size: Approximately 7.5 x 5.25 inches.
Shotei's Rakutei seal at left.
Reference: S-50 in Shotei catalog.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Excellent. Pencil notes on back.

Takahashi Shotei
Moon Under a Bridge at Hakozaki
Size: Approximately 7.5 x 5.25 inches.
Shotei's Rakutei seal at left.
Date: pre-1936.
Reference: S-49 in Shotei catalog.
Publisher: Watanabe Shozaburo.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Wear on bridge wall. Back has a a few foxing spots and pencil note.

Buddhist shrine containing the deity Uga Benzaiten surrounded by Fifteen Children (Jugodoji), all sitting and standing on a rock formation. In the foreground are the ox and the horse, a boat laden with rice bales and the snake god Ugajin. Hidden between the jugodoji is the tiny figure of Amida Buddha.

In this shrine Benten appears in her eight-armed martial form holding various weapons (wheel, bow, spear, sword, club, lock, and arrow) and the wish granting jewel (all of them missing)...

Height: 20 cm (8 in)
Width: 5.8 cm (2.4 in)
Depth: 5 cm (2 in)

Fine Japanese carved okimono of Gamma Sennin, the Sage Liu Hai supporting a toad on his back; excellent carving throughout; natural material; signed on the base; good condition

Vintage Japanese Showa period ink and color on silk scrolled painting of an autumn landscape with mountains in the background and tiny horses and figures in the foreground by Kawashima Baikan (1902-1977). Black ink signature and red artist’s seal at the lower right. Signed tomobako wood presentation box. Mid-20th century. Painting: 17 5/5” x 20 1/8” (scroll: 54 1/2” x 26”). Very good overall condition.

An eye-catching combination of red lacquer and gold repairs on a classic Karatsu tea bowl dating from Edo. Like many pottery traditions in Japan, Karatsu takes its name from the city where it originated. As early as the 15th century Korean potters heavily influenced the development of this form—helping to endow it with the earthy, simple, and natural qualities it is so appreciated for...

A large deep bowl decorated in abstract underglaze blue imagery by Shibata Ryozo enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Sometsuke Hachi and dating cica 1995. It is 28 cm (11 inches) diameter, 14 cm (5-1/2 inches) deep and in excellent condition.
Shibata Ryozo (b. 1952) completed advanced studies at the Kyoto Municipal University of Arts in 1978 (his work was purchased by the university the previous year for its permanent collection)...

Tsuchiya Koitsu
Ushigome Kagurazaka.
Date: 1939.
Size: Oban. 17 x 11.375 inches.
Publisher: Doi Hangaten. Doi watermarked paper.
Carver: Harada. Printer: Yokoi. This seal combination indicates an early post-war edition.
Reference: Koitsu catalog TK-DH-056.
Condition: Top back corners have tape residue. Faint toning apparent in margin to former matte edge.

Antique Japanese cylindrical hibachi made of bent suginoki (cryptomeria) and decorated with a maki-e lacquer scene of a family of chickens in a bamboo grove. The mother hen and two chicks look for food on the ground while their father rooster looks back at his third little chick. Bamboo details are made of inlaid shell and the background is flecked in gold. With a copper insert.

Age: Meiji/Taisho Period (early 20th century)

Dimensions: 7 5/8" high x 10 1/4" wide

From our collection of Japanese Chawan with Christian Cross design: highly distorted shoe shaped (kutsugata) tea bowl with a rounded brim, made of light, coarse, unrefined Mino clay. The expertly thrown body was trimmed with a potter's knife in its lower part around the foot ring.

In the style of Seto kuro bowls this Chawan was covered with a brown glaze. On one side the sign of a Christian (Maltese) cross was left unglazed and was covered with a transparent ash glaze...

Height: 3.1 cm (1.2 in)
Length: 3.7 cm (1.7 in)
Depth: 2.4 cm (0.9 in)

Fine Japanese netsuke of a calligrapher; leaning back and looking pleased with his work, his legs extended under his worktable; stained natural material; minor age related wear; signed

Height: 3.3 cm (1.4 in)
Width: 3.5 cm (1.5 in)
Depth: 2.7 cm (1.1 in)

Japanese carved shishi dog seal block; inlaid eyes; natural material; minor wear; good condition