An unusual Ryoku Odoshi Ni-Mai-Do Gusoku armor of pleated horizontal plates and Armadillo scale mae-ate reminiscent of the leather covers on the front of older O-yoroi with an inscription inside the box lid attesting the armor to the property of Prince Arisugawa Taruhito. It features a black lacquered 62 plate suji kabuto with simple brass Tehen Kanamono and 6 lame shikoro with arisugawa crest on the fukigaeshi and genuine armadillo tail maedate...

A High Ranking Military Commander with the Yokohagi Okegawa Dou from the Edo Period (early 19th century). The Kabuto is finished with 64 gilt copper sleeves interlocking onto the iron Ken creating a linear effect on the bowl. The Mempo is in the Nara style with fierce gilt teeth, lacquered upper lip and horse hair mustache detail. The overall mask detail is lacquered in black...

Pair of Japanese iron tsuba (sword guard), mounted on a stand, dating from the 17th/19th century with Hidden Christian motifs. The first tsuba composed of three iron interlocking circles, the image of the Cross can be seen. The second iron tsuba has a very delicate wire design in the interior representing the Crown of Thorns, also has a cross in the overall pattern.

Provenance Private Collector
Dates 17th-19th century
Size w/stand H 9 1/4" x W 2 1/2" x D 2"

This is an awesome Gunto Imperial Japan Military Katana Sword in Black Koshirae fitting, made during the Showa period (1926-1989), by the Gunto swordsmith KANEHARU 兼玄: (Index of Japanese Swordsmiths by Markus Sesko), from the Seki School (Modern Japanese Swords and Swordsmiths, by Leon and Hiropo Kapp). The sword's nakago has been marked as shown in the photos. The blade has a bright and clean polish, and it is in excellent condition...

Exceptional fushi in shakudo inlaid with gold and sentoku ,recounting the legend of the warrior Hide Sato victorious over the giant Mokume. As a reward, the Dragon King Ryu-Jin presented him with a precious bell, an always hot cauldron and an inexhaustible sack of rice. We see these three objects carried by the servants of Ryu-Jin emerging from the waves. Exceptional quality.Important note that the gold parts are solid gold in pieces and not just gilded. 35x27mm. Sign...

Naval officer's sword in gilded bronze and steel. Leather scabbard. This sword is stored in its felt sheath, which appears to be original. The blade is signed "Manufacture de Klingenthal". The mercury gilding is of good quality and in good condition. On one side of one of the elements of the scabbard the royal crown has been erased, on the other side it has been preserved...

Four Japanese Tsuba dating from 16th/17th century with display stand.
-iron circular tsuba with gold incised patterns on edge with interior incised groves.
-iron clover shaped tsuba with interior heart shaped openings, applied gold groves of trees.
-iron persimmon shaped tsuba with moon showing through a cherry blossoms and leaves. Back side has bamboo with gold leaves. Overlay uses silver, gold over raised iron bamboo and cherry tree...

Japanese rare and unusually beautiful short matchlock rifle. The wide iron barrel is inlaid with a dragon in silver with raised golden eyes. The handle is lacquered black and decorated with gold lacquer kuyo (nine-star) mon crest, which was used by more than one family including the Katakura and Matsukura samurai clans. This mon appears again inlaid in silver around the mouth of the rifle. Made by one of the Kunitomo, specialized gunsmiths to the samurai...

A very rare example of an Antique Japanese iron samurai chest armor (dou) with Fudo Myo-o. Made in the five plate, four hinge go-mai chest armor sendai or yukinoshita style. On the breastplate, Fudo Myo-o, one of the five myo-o or Lords of Light stands with sword in hands, the flames of his nimbus swirling around him as he stands on churning waves. Fudo is a fitting subject for samurai armor as his name means "the unmovable or unshakable one"...

A very unusual and rare mid Edo period iron Duo. Full wrap around breast and back plate with hinged shoulders plates. Detail of an incredibly fierce and deleted dragon wrapped around and suspended around swirling clouds.
In japan, the dragon represent wisdom, strength, force for good, wind, water and of coarse wealth. Dragons are destructive forces, but they are also considered guardians.
The collar of the undergarment is hand sewn silk embroidered with gold threads...

Antique Japanese ozutsu tanegashima matchlock rifle with intricate silver and gold inlay of a dragon in swirling clouds. This wide cast iron barrel is further decorated with a three character mark and the crest of the Tokugawa shogunate...

Very large iron tsuba representing a man riding a giant boar. This illustrates the story of a hunter who to defend his lord during a hunting party jumped on a boar, rode it, sat upside down and stabbed it to death. This brave hunter was called Nitan No Shiro and the action took place around Mount Fuji. The tsuba is in hammered iron, the drawings of the hunter and the boar are incised with a chisel, the hat of Nitan is inlaid in sentoku (copper) some details are in gilded bronze or gold. On the...

A fine wakizashi in saya of crushed aogai shell in lacquer with engraved silver fittings adorned with a family crest wrapped with matching Kozuka. Kyoto license number 59007 Heisei 9.
blade length: 38.9 cm
sori:0.7 cm
motohaba:2.4 cm
motokasane: 0.6 cm It is in excellent condition.

A mid Edo period (16th to 17th century) five plate cuirass (go-mai-do) of heavy iron emblazoned on front with a sun and moon in inlayed silver over the fierce god Fudomyo with protective sanskjrit characters in silver damascene on the sides and a five character phrase (The Gotoku or five precepts of Confucianism, also espoused in the book of five rings) on back, also in silver. It is lacquered red inside, and about the waste hang rows of black lacquered scales laced in blue with color fleckedwh...

A fine Edo period portrait of a sinewy middle aged samurai proudly seated before a pair of swords, a table upon which rests an ink stone and book at his right elbow. Exquisite detail in the figures face and fine lines and shadows in the clothing are reminiscent of portraits by the great artist Watanabe Kazan. The portrait is signed Higashiyama Giryo and dated Tenpo 3 (1832) and the epitaph is signed Raijo. The portrait appears to be of a samurai named Kanda Hojo. The artist Giryo is likely a...

Early Edo Myochin Signed Nimai Do with Nanban influence featuring gilded kusazuri and sode laced with blue chord dated Genwa 3 (1620). There are rows of Prominent rivets all about with nobori-kiri crests on the top of the munaita. Comes with an old wrapping cloth dyed with the same crest. The Hon-kozane Kusazuri are removable, attached to two leather belts suspended from iron tongs about the waist. The takahimo shoulder straps are wrapped in leather. The shaped horn clasps are extant but on...

An original Edo period kōsatsu public proclamation dated Tenwa I (1681) detailing the laws against Christianity, rewards for turning in a Christian to the authorities, as well as punishment for the offenders. Of cypress wood with sumi ink, and a hand-forged iron loop for suspension from a post or gate. The signboard has a shallow peaked “roof” to protect the calligraphy from the rain. However decades in the weather have caused the original surface to wear and bake away the surface, leavi...

An Edo Period Kozuka (utility knife handle.) Kinko (mixed soft metals) decoration on shakudo alloy with nanako (fish roe textured) background. Depicted in a farmer with horse in water plowing in prepartion to plant rice. A willow or other weeping tree, to one side, not yet with blooms. Nicely detailed with featured highlighted with gold and silver overlay. The water nicely textures with an itame (wood grain) effect. Serviceable, fair to good condition. There is light denting on the butt end and...