Exceptional Gonin Bayashi Five Musician set for the Hina Matsuri (Girl's Day) celebration. Just a wonderful grouping: a chanter, flute player, two hand drummers and a floor drummer, each with an expressive and well-modeled face, finely carved fingers and hands in precise gestures for their individual instruments, sumptuous silk brocade costumes, short swords, silk fiber hair, and large inset glass eyes. They are of the finest quality. 7 inches, 18 cm tall.

Pair of Inari Foxes of sculptured and fired clay with luminescent powered white glaze. In traditional Japanese art, a pair of foxes typically flank the deity Inari’s shrine image. But in modern times, images of Inari have all but disappeared, replaced instead by images of Oinari’s messenger, the magical shape-shifting fox (kitsune 狐). Here the symbolism is two-fold. First, rice is sacred in Japan, closely associated with fertility (the pregnant earth) and with sustaining life...

A lucky ammer in red decorates the inside of this large bowl by Mamiya Eishu enclosed in a period wooden box. It appears to read Kishoho or Kishohon (the method to satisfaction or the root of satisfaction respectively). The bowl is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. Eishu (1871-1945)entered the priesthood at the age of nine at Ryutakuji Temple under the training of the priest Tengan...

Beautiful Kyoto Nishijin silk obi, decorated with flowers, ribbons and mirrors. Gold is genuine and used in two different methods; strips of gilt paper (machine cut) and gold leaf wrapped around the silk threads. Some gold leaf are natually missing from the strips of paper - this did not show up in most photos (see enlargement photo). This obi looks older (clean) than shown in the photos. Circa 1920-1940. Dimensions: 12 3/4" x 170"

A delicately painted earthenware Satsuma dish depicting pagodas and blossoming trees in a rocky mountain landscape. The base could be signed "Sozan". This item was made in japan during the Meiji period (1868-1911). Condition - there is a little scratching and what appears to be a minor surface blemish in one small area (please see enlargement 5)- no chips, cracks or restoration...

The theme on this fukusa (Japanese gift cover) is “Kin ki Sho ga”, four accomplishments of noblemen. For a man to be well balanced and eventually become a good leader, practicing (and become good at) of “Kin ki Sho ga” was encouraged during their leisure time; ‘Kin’ (Jp. Koto, string music instrument), ‘ki’ (jp. ‘Go’, Chinese chess), ‘sho’ (calligraphy) and ‘ga’ (painting). This started in China and was brought back to Japan by traveling monks studying Buddhism...

Kawase Hasui
Kankai Temple, Beppu Hot Springs, 1927
Publisher: Bijutsusha. One of only eight Hasui designs published by Bijutsusha. Bears the red "Rumi" publisher's seal.
Size: Oban, approximately 15.0 x 10.25 inches.
Condition: Unframed. Excellent. A small (2 mm) hole in the dark green foliage has been invisibly repaired by a conservator. Short green dash in grey upper right sky.
A lush landscape format print and a rare design...

Small flat Buddhist shrine, constructed as a triptych. When open, the middle section houses Amida Nyorai in raised carving, sitting on a lotus throne under a baldachin and surrounded by clouds. On the left panel Seishi bosatsu with his hands folded in prayer, on the right panel Kannon bosatsu with the lotus in his hands. Both bodhisattva surrounded by clouds as well. Sandalwood with details of garment and baldachin in gold. Background in lapis blue...

This is a fine old Japanese Porcelain vase from a rare Artist. The vase is very heavy and it stands 12 inches tall. The vase is decorated in underglaze blues and reds much like some of the Makuzu Kozan Pieces. There is an unknown impressed signature on the bottom. Maybe someone in Japan will recognize the signature of this fine studio artist. The vase was once a lamp and the hole has been nicely restored.

A large cloth, silk brocade, lined with cotton with ties on one side. Dimensions: 104 1/4” long x 45” in width (2.65m x 1.14m). There are four 26” panels sewn together (sewing machine), each panel is decorated with a pair of phoenix birds one parched on a paulownia tree and the other on a rock. Although the fabric is of high quality silk, it actually is older than it appears - you need to handled gently. The gold sparkles when it is hit by lights. The color is not red...

A rarely encountered Japanese "shin hanga" woodblock print titled "Sunset Glow at the Skirt of Mt. Fuji" by Ito Takashi (1894-1982), published by Watanabe in the second month of 1952. This print is from an old Tucson, Arizona collection and was purchased in the mid-20th century. It is not a recent Heisei edition. This standard sized horizontal oban print has full margins and measures 10 3/8" x 15 1/4" (image about 9 1/2" x 14 1/4"). Very good color and overall condition...

The fabric is thick, silver brocade that appears to be taken from a Japanese woman's old obi from late Edo period. The liner is cotton. During the Edo period (1602-1868), there was a custom that the family of a deceased woman would donate her favorite kimono to the temple; some beautiful temple cloths were created from those wonderful fabrics. The custom was likely to have continued after the period. The design on the fabric is the four benevolent animals of Chinese mythology; qulin, drag...

Edo Period Japanese woodblock print by Toyokuni III (also known as Kunisada) dated 1854 depicting a beauty of the nobility practicing the art of painting. Signed at the left "Toyokuni ga" in a red cartouche surrounded with yellow snow." 14 3/8"V x 10"H. Very good color and in clean overall condition with lacquer and embossed highlights. The print is not backed and the baren marks and image are clearly visible on the back. No tape or tape stains. There is a tiny bit of thinning at the upper left...

Top quality Kyoto Nishijin obi in maru obi style (design on both sides). We think this obi is from 1930-1940. No damages. Dimensions: 12 5/8" x 13'5"(161.5")

Japanese antique hand-carved keyaki wood badger with tally book, sake bottle and wearing a monk's hat, standing with enlarged scrotum, nice color and grain pattern, Taisho Period circa 1920s, Size: 15"H 16"W 11"D

Takeda dolls are modeled after the popular characters from the theater play during the Edo period. They are known for their exaggerated posture and facial expressions of the puppet dolls and kabuki actors on stage. The dolls in this style, with the distinguished Kabuki actor’s makeup called ‘kumadori’ (first created by Danjyuro Ichikawa I, 1660-1704) were made in late Edo to early Meiji period. The dolls might have been sold in large cities such as Osaka and Edo(Tokyo) where the...

Many stories were written about the rising power of the samurai class in late 12th century Japan. Kanjincho, the Kabuki adaptation of the Noh play, Ataka, was first performed at the end of the Edo period in 1840. The costume and hat of this doll tell us that this is Togashi, a chief officer at Ataka inspection barrier in the Kabuki play, “Kanjincho”. The dimensions of the doll are 13 3/4" tall (including hat) and 16" wide (shoulder 10" wide)

In "Kanjincho", after winning the batt...

Old oxcart for Hina Matsuri, the Japanese girl's festival. Decorated in makie on lacquered wood, this style of the carriage was used by the aristocrats during the Heian period (I794-1185). This can be displayed with the "shittei (shitei)", three servants dolls and/or other small dolls. The carriage is tied to the stand in original condition which needs to be untied after the shipment. The strings have been putting pressure on the two front legs of the ox. The legs can be easily straight...