This is a Japanese silk obi with a painting of men transporting lumber down the river. It is a scene that became obsolete as new technologies, such as trains, trucks and the creations of dams, developed. It is hand painted on silk with an artist’s signature and seal. We will bring more photos once the obi is flattened from the Nagoya style obi – currently, this obi is being worked on (hand sewn) by a professional.

Drinking dancing and shamisen playing, a skeleton crew doing donchan-sawagi on the back of a pale gray jiban crepe-silk kimono. The figures are performed in the painstaking shibori technique where each dot is hand knotted before dying, each laborious knot making up one dot in the matrix of the design. The piece likely dates from the Meiji to early Taisho era, late 19th to early 20th century. This is not one of the modern bleached versions of this theme, but an antique original...

A set of kamishimo and hakama made from cotton used to dress a bunraku puppet. The fabric is utilizing a cherry blossom pattern with a wave motif. The cherry blossoms are done in a style known as katagami, where the pattern is printed using a paper cut out placed on top of the fabric and dye is coated over it. The wave patterns are done in a print format similar to a technique known as inkin, where a woodblock is used to stamp the pattern...

Antique Japanese tall banner for Boy's Day celebration, two mon (family crests), scene depicting a noted scene from a noh play called Takasago. The two old couples represent the wish for a couple to be together till the end. The rake represents raking in fortune and the broom for sweeping away misfortune and bad energy. A crane above and an ancient turtle below, both also symbolic of longevity. The banner is painted in mineral pigments on cotton. 190" high x 26 1/2" wide.

A fine embroidery depicting a group of chickens. Embroideries, known as shishu in Japanese, were done on various fabrics and clothing. It was only later during the late 19th century that embroideries were appreciated for their artistic quality and were often framed or mounted on scrolls. The embroidery on the back contains an inscription which reads: Present ( or gift) September of the tenth year of Taisho (1921) (Presented by) the Imperial government of Japan...

It is Indigo dye silk shibori Pattern of impressive and charming sparrow kimono textile of the Taisho era.As for the change of the color of a white part, the paste which I used for dyeing changed.It has a few thin stains. However, The stain does not stand out.It is no damage. size:150cm x 121cm (59.0" x 47.6")

Hinagata (sample book of hanten (short jacket) design which is wood-block print. Hinagata is a sample design book and it was for customers when they make orders. The designs are stencil-dyed in the back of hantens which were worn by workers such as shop clerks, fish market workers, firemen and so on. This book is a remake of the original book as the ground paper had many damages so that the original design hantens were cut out and pasted on Japanese paper and newly bound...

Ryugu-jo Castle is depicted in gold couched thread on the blue silk field of this superb Fukusa gift cloth dating from the turn of the 19th century. Frothing white waves surround the mythical palace, and the four corners of the cloth are secured by long-tailed minogame turtles, befitting the scene. It measures 25 x 32 inches (64 x 82 cm) and is in excellent condition but for some wear on one side of the red silk-crepe backing (see close-up photo)...

Antique Japanese raincoat made of hand-woven indigo cotton with sixteen panels, dyed using a technique called ikat, in which bindings are applied to the cotton threads in any desired pattern and dye is applied over them. The bindings resist the dye, leaving behind patterns in the original color of the threads. The raincoat has two sides: One has white stripes and the other has an attractive design of white arrows and crosses...

Antique Japanese sodenashi (work vest), made of indigo and other neutral colored sakiori (rag woven) cotton, edged with indigo cotton, beautifully worn, old reinforcement stitching in some areas adds wonderful character to this worker's vest, late Meiji Period. Size: 31" high x 20" wide

Amazingly beautiful antique Japanese textile in a black wooden frame, with a background of ivory-colored cloth with light blue and yellow sewn birds and cloud-like designs within circular patterns. The two Japanese gods Daikoku, god of prosperity and darkness, and Ebisu, god of fishermen and luck, are shown sharing a bowl of sake...

Antique Japanese cotton futon cover, dyed indigo (now faded due to antiquity), and then dyed used a paste resist technique with pastel blues and pinks to create a large Sakura emblem at the very top of the textile, flowering roses, and two rivaling komainu or Japanese lion dogs. Minor damage due to age. Meiji period (1868-1912) Size: (futon only) 62" height, 49" width (entire board) 84" height, 72" width

Antique cotton woven futon cover, dyed indigo and then dyed again with a paste resist technique with the image of the ho-oh or fenghuang, a mythological bird in Asian culture, about to touch down upon a kiri wood branch with budding flowers, representing Japan. Minor damage due to age. Meiji period (1868-1912) Size: (with board) 84" height, 72" length, (futon only) 67.5" height, 50" length

Japanese candy apple red under-kimono with a simple, yet beautiful shibori style design of flowers. Shibori is a method of fabric dying in which bits of cloth are tied, sewn, folded, twisted, etc. to create patterns, similar to the Western method of tie-dye. It is lined with red cotton and has a white cotton collar and sleeves. Taisho period (1912-1925) Size: 46.75" height, 45" width

Beautiful silk obi with patterns of pinecones and branches in a circular shape. Hand stitches can be seen inside, a great sign of antiquity. Meiji period (1867-1912) Size: 159" length, 13.5" width

Antique Japanese light orange chirimen silk kimono, with beautiful floral and linear designs woven in the fabric. It is heavily embroidered with bright and beautiful flowers of many kinds, colorful leaves, twisting striped ribbons in thick gold and silver thread, and shibori accents.The upper interior is lined in white silk. Early 20th century Size: 66" height, 51" width

Antique Japanese woven ikat egasuri futon cover, made of a lovely indigo/navy fabric, with imagery of kiri (pauownia) leaves and squared target designs in a plaid formation. Shown folded haba style. ( Ikat patterns are woven not printed). Taisho period (1912-1925) Total size: 57" x 49"

Antique Japanese long ikat egasuri futon cover made with navy woven fabric, with white and light blue "trickling" patterns of small squares and ribbons. Shown folded in traditional "haba" style. (ikat means that the pattern is woven not printed).Taisho period (1912-1925) Total size: 14" x 272" (approx. 23 ft long)