A powerful drawing of Shoki, a demon queller, is hand painted over two nobori banners (each has two panels sewn together) on a thick and loosely woven cotton. The size of two panels together is huge; approx...

This Japanese doll looks like a woman from Ukiyo-e (pictures of the "floating world") wood block prints. She is sensual and inviting; posing to fix her hair with a hair pin. To do so, she would need to tilt her head sideways and gently pull out the hair pin so she wll not make a mess of the hairdo. The process takes delicate movement of the fingers and is also a chance to show off the area behind her neck which is considered to be the most sensual place to show for a women wearing a kimono...

Japanese bronze statute of a peasant maiden. Signed Hidemitsu. Meiji Period. Height 30-1/2"; diameter of base 9-1/4".

A very tall footed chawan by Kawai Kanjiro enclosed in a fine Kiri-wood box endorsed by his daughter Koha, head of the Kawai Kanjiro Museum. The piece is very much in this potters unique style. The pale rough clay is covered in ash colored glaze with a wide band of soft green, within which are two floral scribbles in red and blue. The bowl is 6 inches (15 cm) diameter, 3-3/4 inches (9 cm) tall and is in perfect condition...

Gorgeous Rare Japanese single section isho tansu (clothing chest) from Sado Island, made of kiri (paulownia) wood with translucent reddish orange lacquer finish, fantastic iron hardware including large and elaborate lockplates featuring phoenixes, safe door open to two small drawers, Meiji Period (circa late 1800's). Size: 44 1/2" high x 45 1/2" wide x 17 3/4" deep.

Japanese silk and gold embroidery depicting two cockerels and peonies. The peonies are a symbol of wealth. This imagery can also be interpreted as a father and son motif of passing on knowledge with a moral compass symbolism.The gold thread is 24-karat gold hand-hammered onto the thread.

Meiji period Circa 1860's.

67-1/2" high, 44-3/4" wide

A furosaki tea room screen made of a very large hanga woodblock print in the fashion of Inui Tai mounted within a simple wooden frame and stamped in the lower left corner. An intriguing work, village roofs are visible over a sea of rice containing all manner of small country scenes...

Japanese Takeda doll, Benkei. We originaly thought this doll was Benkei but somehow he was changed into to Samurai Kiyomasa (16 to 17th century samurai general). We should be correcting or leave him as is with a tiger. Circa Meiji period (1868-1912). 15 inches tall, 14 1/2 inches across platform.

A superb quality set of court musician dolls for Japanese Girl’s Day, Hina Matsuri.
The Hina festival takes place every March 3rd in Japan and it is a day of celebration for the well-being of every girl in the family. In earlier days, people were more susceptible to natural disasters or diseases, so in order to keep evil spirits away, this day was spent giving offerings to God. This custom was adopted from the 7th century Chinese ceremony that originally took place on the beach...

A very unusual art nouveau style Kutani vase decorated with a jagged forest of pink trees on soft green carpet, butterflies circling the shoulder which breaks into a darkened cloud of moriage beads decorated with spiraling karakusa designs in slightly raised gold. Superb workmanship, it is simply signed Kutani-zo (made in Kutani). The vase is 10 inches (25.5 cm) tall and in excellent condition and dates from the first quarter of the 20th century.

These are very unique Japanese zuishin dolls from the late Edo period (1603-1868). The dolls are commonly called Daijin minister dolls but they are actually figures of the Toneri, the imperial guardsmen and escorts from the Heian period (794-1185). The clothing of the dolls is rich and elaborate just like Kabuki actors on stage...

Antique Japanese warrior dolls, musha ningyo displayed for the Japanese Boys Day. Clad in armor is a beautiful young widow, the Empress Jingo with her faithful retainer/high ranking minister, Takenouchi no Sukune. He is holding her baby Ojin (Oh-jin) who was later known as “The God of War”, the 15th Japanese emperor, Emperor Ojin. These are all original dolls including the baby.

Some old records indicate that in 300 AD, God came down to talk to Empress Jingo in her sleep...

Rare pair of shrine guardians in the shape of foxes, both sitting on a two tiered elevation. The right one holds a moving jewel in its mouth, the left one a stick. Middle brown, dense wood with a beautiful patina where hands touched the backs and heads of the foxes and the bases. Red staining on inside of ears, inside the mouths, in nostrils. Crystal eyes. Bases made of the same wood...

This is a large doll, probably dated from Meiji to Taisho period, modeling a maiden from the Genroku era (1688-1703). Genroku culture which was the beginning of uprising power of the merchants in the Osaka area was glamorous and quite a contrast to the stiff culture of the samurai. Partially green lipstick that is shown on this doll became fashionable at the time. Her hair style is called Taka (high) Shimada or Bunkin Taka-Shimada...

A very unusual hammer textured lotus shaped tray featuring an insect crawling down the side enclosed in a wooden box titled Textured Leaf Shape Fruit Dish and signed Tekisui Zo (made by Tekisui). The brass basin is supported by a withering round stem convoluting beneath. A bright portion of brass hammered out with holes show the leaf slowly deteriorating, returning to earth. The insect is like a red flying-beetle or lady-bug, very detailed...

Majestic Black-tailed cranes soar over the crisp white-caps of Japans Northern waters on this expansive screen painted by 20th century artist Okada Renseki (1904-1995)...

This is a superior Takeda ningyo (doll), an old Japanese theater doll which was most likely modeled after the character, Teiseiko from “Kokusenya-ya-Gassen.” It was a popular theater play in 18th to 19th century Japan. The setting of the play is during mid 17th century China towards the end of the Ming Dynasty. Teiseiko (also known as Watonai) was fighting the battle for the old dynasty. The play is based on a true story of "Teiseiko" who was born from a Chinese sea merchant and a Japanese...

Oarsmen battle Tempestuous seas to carry safely home their cargo of courtly women in this vivid scene signed Hakushun dated 1932. The oars bend under the strain of the ferocious seas, the oarsmen pull with all their might. Behind bamboo curtains the young women huddle together, their courtly robes flowing about like the oceans mad waves. A very powerful scene supervised by a noble seated at the back of the small ship, witnessed by a gaggle of cormorants resting on a jagged rock cluster. The ...