An exquisite antique Japanese large box made of keyaki (elm) wood burl and decorated with a design of a bamboo garden gate, tall grasses, chrysanthemum blossoms and the moon. Very high raised maki-e lacquer in gold and red with shell inlay. Tied with it's original tassel and with tomobako. Provenance: from a family living close to Kyoto's Imperial Palace.

Meiji Period (Mid 19th century)

Dimensions: 10 1/4" high x 10" wide x 12" deep.

Antique Japanese small kobako (incense box) with inside tray. The outside is decorated with a scene of a garden fence, chrysanthemums, hydrangeas and daisies in gold lacquer on a nashiji ground. The interior is covered in fine nashiji. The small tray stands on tiny feet and has a pavilion scene with twisted pines all in gold lacquer on a matching nashiji ground.

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 4" high x 6" wide x 4" deep.

Japanese gold lacquer inro with five compartments, decorated in low relief landscape scene of lakeside mountains, cottages, pagodas, pine trees, and bridges in gold lacquer and accents of silver. The reverse side shows a tiny man in a boat traversing the waters. The inside compartments are covered with dense nashiji lacquer (fine gold flecks). Underneath the bottom compartment is an artist's signature with red chop...

Japanese kogo, or incense container for tea ceremonies, in the form of a small bird with very fine maki-e or sprinkled gold lacquer exterior. Each feather of the bird is highly detailed in low relief maki-e lacquer. The pupils of the bird are done with very fine red lacquer for contrast. The interior of the box is finished in gold nashiji, sometimes called pear skin due to the resemblance to the Asian pear...

The full moon glowing in shimmering gold illuminates the silver blossoms adorning the ragged plum tree growing along the river bank, a superb lacquer box dating from the 19th century enclosed in a period wooden box titled Plum & Moon Maki-e Suzuri Bako. Inside the lid the stream continues, running past golden rocks and young flora reaching for the moon...

Japanese lacquer tray with low relief depiction of a peacock in fine gold maki-e lacquer, with maki-e lacquer chrysanthemums, against a nashiji gold flake ground. The peacock's face and the "eyes" of the feathers are inlaid with finely ground shell. The edges of the tray are of a mokko melon shape and the reverse of the tray is all in nashiji lacquer. With display stand.

Dimensions: 13 1/4" L x 9 3/4" W x 3/4" H (without stand)

A lacquer box decorated with a Rimpa style thatched house under blossoming tree by Kamisaka Sekka dating from the late Taisho period. It is 12.5 x 12.5 x 6 cm (5 x 5 x 2 inches) and is in excellent condition. An identical box which was part of the permanent collection of the Ruth and Sherman Lee Institute along with the original design sketch is visible on page 154 of the book Kamisaka Sekka: Rimpa Master - Pioneer of Modern Design published by the Kyoto National Museum of Modern Art in 2003...

Japanese carved wood Natsume tea caddy, with high relief lacquer imagery of ripened peaches growing on a branch, and a flying hornet on the top of the lid in lacquer. The side of the box is signed with red lacquer cartouche.

Meiji period (1868-1912) c. 1900

Dimensions: 2 1/2" W x 2 3/4" H

Japanese lacquer suzuribako or calligraphy writing box. The box is wood with lacquer, gold gilt sprinkled lacquer, and inlaid shell on the lid, adorned with scrolling leaves, floral medallions and motifs of sparrows. The box interior is red lacquer with gold lacquer patterns. The inside box contains an attached inkstone, a brush, and a small brass water dropper. Underneath is a shallow compartment for the storage of calligraphy papers...

An unusual Japanese circular wooden stand with black and red lacquer finish, the edges of the stand are inlaid with shell, standing on slight cabriole tripod feet.

Early 19th century Edo Period

Dimensions: 19" W x 5" H

Rare Antique Japanese Negoro red lacquer tiered stand. Five arched cabriole legs below the hand carved apron, the feet ending at a floral step base. Overall condition is very good and consistent with age.

Edo Period (circa mid 1800's)

Dimensions: 12" w x 14 3/4" h

Unusual Japanese Buddhist Zushi with dark, lacquered wood exterior and gilt interior. Enshrined in this portable altar is the statue of Buddha seated on a lotus. His two attendants are sitting on a dragon and fox. The double doors and roof top are decorated with scrolling gilt metal work.

Buddhist traveling altars and shrines create a sacred space of spiritual magnetism and are the product of dedicated craftsmanship...

A Japanese Contemporary Large Bamboo Sculpture made of thin strips of madake bamboo and lacquer. The artist is using an irregular, open work plaiting technique creating a kind of large cocoon shape. It can be seen from different angles and it can also be use for flower arrangements as there are openings through which a receptacle can be placed inside. But it can be admired simply as a sculpture. Made by Homura Reiryu ( b. 1970 ) from Oita prefecture, Kyushu, Japan...

Nagoro banana leaf tray lacquer over wood. The black lacquer shines through the red to reveal the ribs and veins of the leaf. In the literati tradition, banana leaves were used by scholar recluses as paper to write calligraphy. Later, this motif was incorporated into other forms of art making the image one of the symbols of the literati aesthetics.

Date: Tiasho circa 1920

Dimensions: 16" x 6" X 3/4"

Japanese gold lacquer Inro with five compartments, decorated in low relief landscape scene of temple in the mountain surrounded by pines and connected by a small bridge over a river in gold lacquer. The reverse side shows mountains in the distance and a small seaside village. The inside compartments are covered with dense nashiji lacquer (fine gold flecks). The cord has a metal ojime. Inro (seal basket) are small decorative containers that hang from the waist...

A Japanese gold lacquer Inro with five compartments. A relief of a pair of silver horses dominates the landscape scene of a seaside village with drying racks of fish and pines and clouds in the background. The horses are galloping over a creek with foliage. The reverse side shows a lone horse under a fruit tree and thatched cottage. The inside compartments are covered with dense nashiji lacquer (fine gold flecks). The cord has an agate ojime...

An antique, Japanese boxwood lacquer comb with two kanzashi hair pins decorated with niello silver & mokoume-gane etched cat on gilt. The fine toothed comb is hand carved with floral motifs and a man walking over a bridge...

Rare item. Yazutsu (quiver) made of "koyori" which is twisted washi (Japanese handmade paper) strings. The crafts made of koyori and coated with urushi were called "Kami-Nagato" and they were popular handicrafts in Edo period, such as tabacco cases, bowls and sake containers in hyotan shape and so on. It has 15 arrows made of bamboo but feathers are worn out. The quiver is in excellent condition. The 19th century. L:94cm Diameter:7.5cm