Small scroll painting of the eccentric Zen priest Ikkyu Sojun dancing on top of the head of a skeleton, who is playing the shamisen. In his hands he holds his staff topped with a skull.
Scene from the story of the Hell Courtesan, as described by Santo Kyoden, the equivalent of memento mori.
Signed and sealed at lower right by the artist.
Ink, mineral colors and gofun on silk...

Fabulous cypress wood dragon carving from a zen temple. Well preserved. Stands upright. Excellent condition. When the carp swims up a waterfall and makes it over the top it becomes a dragon and resides in the celestial realm protecting the buddha`s teachings. 34" long bu 11" wide. Ask for shipping quote.

Japanese antique choba tansu (merchant's chest) with kannon-biraki cabinet doors (opening outward on hinges). The doors open to reveal one interior shelf. These door panels as well as the safe box door are both removable. (The hinge pins are built into the door side of the lock and slot into the hinges on the tansu frame.) There are 6 drawers of various sizes. The safe box on the lower right hand side has two additional small interior drawers...

Antique Japanese pair of abumi (samurai stirrups for horse riding). Made of iron and lacquered black with red lacquer foot. Each abumi is decorated with designs of kiri blossoms in gold lacquer. The buckle of each stirrup has an intricate pierced design and mon in gold lacquer. (Mounted on matching stands made of metal with wooden bases.)

Edo Period (early 1800's)

Dimensions: 16 3/4" high (10 3/4" high without stand) x 12" long x 5 1/2" wide.

DESCRIPTION: This outstanding and rare antique Japanese Tonkotsu, or tobacco box, has been crafted from boxwood in the form of the Three Wise Monkeys, with a beautifully carved Iwazaru, or “Speak no Evil” monkey, serving as the main tobacco container. Mizaru, or “See No Evil”, forms the ojime and Kikazaru, or “Hear No Evil”, forms the netsuke to complete the set. Each of these has been meticulously carved with inlaid eyes and finely delineated fur...

DESCRIPTION: Outstanding Japanese porcelain Imari charger, circa 1880, acquired in Brussels, Belgium. This charger is profusely painted in under-glazed blue, red, green and gilt with a central blue medallion of scrolls highlighted in gilt. Surrounding the medallion is a wide border of alternating cartouches enclosing pairs of birds with bamboo leaves, and flowers issuing from rockwork with butterfly. The reverse is painted with three sets of flowering blue branches...

A skull lies ethereal, only a soft circle before the ghost-like apparition of a grave-marker rising from the boldly stroked dead grasses of some forgotten field...

This finely crafted Japanese yakkan (copper teapot) shows the kind of beautiful patina that can only be achieved with time and careful used and looks to date from the Meiji period of the late 1800s.

The brilliant rich auburn color of this type of metalwork is achieved by adding smoked straw during the firing process and often deepens in character over time...

Antique Japanese small merchant's box. Although this tansu has the appearance of a gyosho bako (peddler's box), it does not have loops for carrying straps. It was probably custom made for a merchant's raised platform area. All of the drawers feature hand forged iron lock plates and mounts. One of the smaller drawers is stained with ink meaning it would have stored an ink pen for receipts and accounting...

Used for ceremonial purposes by the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties. Traditionally, the jue vessel was made of bronze with a pouring spout on either end and a pair of capped posts rising from the rim. This ceramic jue cup is done in fine porcelain with underglaze enamel and is described on the tomobako as being a jue-shaped incense burner (korou)...

Height: 3.5 cm (1.3 in)
Length: 4.2 cm (1.7 in)
Depth: 2.2 cm (0.8 in)

Japanese dragon fish netsuke modelled in the form of a Mokugyo bell; natural material; inlaid horn eyes; signed within an oval panel

Antique Japanese kannon biraki (opening door) isho tansu (clothing chest) in 2 sections. Made with kiri (paulownia) wood front with sugi (cryptomeria) wood top and sides. The top section has a pair of hinged doors which open to reveal two large drawers. The bottom section has two large drawers and a safe box in the lower right hand side. The hinged safe box door opens to reveal two small interior drawers, one of which has a hidden compartment...

Large and heavily potted porcelain body, decorated in an nice pale cobalt blue in Shunzui style and with medallions showing flying birds and wild gees, birds sitting on branches, sailboats and Fujiyama mountain. Japan, nineteenth century. Diameter: 42 cm. H : 33 cm. Condition: Broken at one area to the rim. This broken area would be absolutely suitable to ennoble the piece with a most beautiful Kintsugi repair ( Gold lacquer repair, please see the images ).

Japanese Edo period woodblock print depicting “The lay priest Ryuen, Uramatsu Kihei Hidenao, behind a rack of kimonos” from the series “Stories of the Faithful Samurai.” The print is signed at the lower left "Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga" (1797-1861). The red Yoshi Kiri seal is beneath the signature. The publisher’s seal and series number is below the artist’s seal. The date seals are above the signature. The series title is at the upper right...

Antique Japanese tansu from the Nigata area of Japan. Most likely used by a merchant for storage. The 9 drawers are in three rows with the shallowest drawers along the top and gradually getting deeper toward the bottom of the chest. The hardware is all of iron and includes elegant hirute shaped drawer pulls, fan shaped lock plates and corner bracing. The wood is paulownia (kiri) wood.

Edo Period (early 1800's)

Dimensions: 19 1/2" high x 31" wide x 19" deep.

Antique Japanese Choba Tansu (merchant chest of drawers) from the Kyoto region. The chest has an open shelved compartment, with a money slot on the bottom shelf that drops into the drawer below...

A Boro cover textile of sewn together bits of worn out Asa (Hemp) fabrics resist died with various patterns. 146 X 163 cm (57-1/2 x 64 inches).

Antique Japanese Mingei Flat Pounding Board An exquisite patina covers this heavy pounding board from Northern Japan used for working rice into dough. It is 53.5 x 31 x 9 cm (21 x 12 x 3-1/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.