A spectacular Japanese coconut wood carved crab box of the meiji period (1868-1912). Every detail is done to high excellence with the utmost attention to detail; even the the crabs with their markings are painted realistic perfection. The basket appears woven but is itself carved. This is a rare and unusual treasure and is in perfect condition, measuring 4.5 inches high and 4.25 inches at widest point.
DESCRIPTION: An attractive carved stag horn handle, most likely for a lady’s fine umbrella, with a continuous scene of a small boy next to a woman in elaborate robes with a fan, both standing under a tall pine tree with reticulated branches. The carving is attached with a brass ring to a bamboo handle which has an embedded brass screw receptor for attaching to the umbrella. DIMENSIONS: Stag horn carving is 7 1/2” long (19 cm). Entire length is 15 Ľ” (38.6 cm).
Perhaps the best dragon carving we have ever owned, here is a solid Keyaki carving taken from the interior of a temple with glass eyes glaring fiercely out at anyone who threatens the sanctity of Buddhism. Flames leap from the body blown by fierce winds as it rises from the Churning ocean. The carving practically roils out from the wood panel, fully in three dimensions. It is 78 x 26 x 10 cm (31 x 10 x 4 inches). Please notice the yellow arrows in the last photos, as the whisker of the creat... Click for details
Lidded crystal eyes gaze serenely down from the Rakans purchase high on the lofty temple walls. The face is expertly crafted, with a distinct Chinese air reflecting the fact the Rakan (Arahat) were all from the Continent. The robes of green, white and red are patterned with scrolling vines and dials. A dedication on back Appears to be Made for/by Konoike-mura Hachiuemon and is dated Ho-Ei 7 (1710). The new wooden base on which it stands states the piece was restored in 1993. One of likely 1... Click for details
A charming ivory carving of a parent and child macaque perched upon the branches of a truncated tree, a small, persistent dog yapping at its base. Apparent escapees from a monkey trainer (note the rope tied around their necks), the dog is realistically sculpted as it reaches out toward the creatures,
its paws resting upon gnarled tree roots. Marvelous detailing expresses the artist's
joy in carving such an imaginative subject; the macaque's eyes,for example,
are inlaid with mother-... Click for details
A well formed strap-on instrument of water buffalo horn accompanied by a pair of small silvered pleasure balls with bells inside, and a box of dried potato root (used as both rings for binding the circulation as well as for its lubricating qualities) each enclosed in a period Kiri-wood box. Simply called omoccha (toys) in Japanese, the phallus is 4-1/2 inches (11.5 cm) long. There is some insect damage as is visible in the photos. Made for pleasure, there are two holes at the base for securin... Click for details
A pair of natural root carvings of geese in a dark red wood, one looking toward the viewer, the other gazing up at the moon. The bodies are fomed of natural root-wood, with the head carved with eyes and bill, feet inset with some type of pitch mortar. They are in overall fine condition, the taller stands 8-1/2 inches (21.5 cm) high. This is from a collection of scholar items we are currently offering from the estate of a Kyoto family involved in literati and art movements from the later Edo p... Click for details
An unusual chato (tea room sword) in the shape of a broken bamboo pole carved with poetry on one side and signed kansaiŠ°ŤĆ. Twigs form the rings for suspending the tie strings and the menuki. The simulated Kozuka (knife) can be removed to expose a double compartment for stamp ink and storage. Between the handle and the menuki is an inkwell, which would have contained cotton soaked with ink, and it is likely a brush would have been once contained in the scabbard. The piece is 16-1/2 inches (... Click for details
An unusual chato (tea room sword) in the shape of an octopus, its 8 legs stretched out in uniform with one curled back exposing the suckers. Eyes are intimated on one side, with an old chip where the breathing hole is opposite. About the neck is wrapped a faded silk chord. It is 22 inches (56 cm) long. It is said that these wooden swords were produced from the mid to late Edo period, in lieu of swords for those not allowed to carry weapons (all but samurai). During the Edo it is true that ... Click for details
A carved wood and gold lacquer okimono of rockwork with chidori (sparrows) worked in gold and silver takamaki-e flying above a raging sea. Waves clash against cavernous cliffs sending spume and two glass tama high above the wave crests. (The tama (tide-controlling jewel associated with the Dragon King of the Sea) complete Japan's beloved theme of endurance and strength-represented by the chidori's perilous migration.) This okimono is in good condition with only some wear consistent with age ... Click for details
