A pair of Edo period temple guardian ornaments made to support the roof beams carved of Japanese cedar or cypress wood, their fierce expressions meant to ward off evil and protect the holy Buddhist teaching. Each is roughly 19 x 39.5 x 20 cm (7-1/2 x 16 x 8 inches) and are in excellent condition. Very cool as built in architectural elements in a home.

A lovely mingei style basket of woven dark bamboo by (1897-1990) enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Shichiku Hashira Kake Hanamori (Hanging basket of Purple Bamboo). Signed on the back it is 18 x 14.5 x 18.5 cm (roughly 7 x 6 x 7-1/4 inches) and in excellent condition, retaining the original bamboo insert.
Ueda Shounsai was an apprentice to Tanabe Chikuunsai I (1877-1937), one of the most important bamboo artists working in the Osaka Prefecture...

MINIATURE SEVEN LUCKY GODS

Miniature wooden carvings depicting the Seven Lucky Gods (Shichifukujin) enshrined within a zushi shrine. Japan, Shōwa period (20th century). Approx. 16.5 × 10.5 × 10 cm (6.5 × 4.1 × 4.1 in). Each figure is carefully hand-carved and hand-painted, with individually rendered facial expressions. No notable chips or losses observed...

A bamboo kago basket in the shape of a Rokkaku Tetsuki yorodai (Six-sided handled Brazier carrier) by Wada Waichisai III enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 22 x 19.5 x 58 cm (just less than 2 feet tall) and is in excellent condition.
Wada Waichisai I (1851–1901), born Ichimatsu in Osaka, began his career humbly, crafting utilitarian baskets for farmers—a tradition passed down from his father. Initially working under the studio name Chikuunsai...

A pair of frogs climb aboard a lotus root forming this gentle sculpture by Miyamoto Risaburo carved from camphor wood with light coloring. The artist’s signature is engraved into the base. The composition combines naturalism and humor: the frogs, rendered in mottled green and russet tones with black markings and golden eyes, are poised in lifelike attitudes, their limbs tensed as if ready to leap...

An unprecedented set of bamboo containers made from large nodules into a twin tower picnic set enclosed in an outer case stored in a wooden box. One bamboo tube forms the sake bottle, lacquered with a transparent candy color on both ends with solid silver spout. The other is set of four containers with a lid, all similarly lacquered. They both come held in hemp rope nets, enclosed in a cloth bound lacquered wooden case bound with deer skin chords enclosed in a period wooden box...

A serene wood carving of a frog on a leaf in a lilly filled pond by Kawahara Masashi mounted in an artist carved frame enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Suiren. The natural wood grain forms the ripples of the pond water brushed by a breeze, with light accents of gold throughout as if everything were reflecting the sunlight...

Masterpiece carved frog Ca. 1950. Zelkova (Keyaki)wood. Signed Yukihiro on the bottom. Excellent condition and patina. H:12cm x 15cm long x 21cm deep. Shipping from CA. Ask for shipping quote.

Japanese Noh Kotobide Mask (小飛出)

A Japanese Noh Kotobide mask (小飛出), traditionally associated with swift-moving deities or terrestrial spirits that race across the earth. The wide, alert eyes and subtly carved facial features convey a sense of speed, vitality, and an otherworldly presence.

Carved in wood and finished with natural pigments, the surface has developed a warm patina through age and use...

A Japanese Meiji period wood okimono sculpture of a puppy and a Kyogen theatre mask of a Otafuku (also known as Okame). Okame is a traditional Japanese character representing a happy, prosperous, and auspicious woman. It is a beautifully and naturalistically carved, puppy hairs are perfectly detailed. Eyes are with three kinds of inlay, dark and light horn. Whiskers are inlayed in dark horn. Signed...

An ivory okimono of the Tokyo school, depicting a woodcutter seated during a moment of rest, holding a bento box and chopsticks in his hands. The figure is rendered with particular attention to the facial features, hairstyle, and the soft folds of the kimono, highlighting the quality of the carving. On the reverse of the bundle of firewood appears a square signature in gold and silver. Period: Meiji period, late 19th century Dimensions: 7.5 cm Condition: Very good condition...

A Mingei Folk Art Wood-Carved Image Depicting Senno Rikyu (1522 –1591) was a tea master who is considered the one that redefined the tea ceremony, its rules, the utensils to be used and even the architecture of the tea house. He was the founder of the Japanese Tea Culture, the "Way of Tea" or Chanoyu the way we know it. Engreved name of the carver at the bottom: Tosui. Edo period, 17/18th century.  Size: H 15 x 12,5 cm...

HALVED HASHIHIME

Fragment of a wooden Noh mask representing 'Hashihime'—a female figure driven mad by jealousy and transformed into a demon by resentment. Intentionally cut in half, with the exposed cross-section coated in persimmon tannin (kakishibu). Japan, Shōwa period (20th century). Approx. 30.2 × 7.3 × 5 cm (11.9 × 2.9 × 2 in)...

Antique Japanese carved wood smoking set, specifically a tonkotsu (tobacco pouch), a kiseruzutsu (pipe case) and ojime (a bead). The pouch is finely carved wood and features a relief of Fujin, God of the Wind, with a bag on one side and a dragon in the clouds above the waves on the other. Pipe holder is carved in the shape of a mushroom. Ojme is a carved nut. Bottom of the pouch signed with what may be translated as Ippō or Ichimine Pouch 3.5 ” x 2.75 ” (9 x 7 sm) Pipe holder 9 x...

Antique Japanese carved wood figure of a Confucian sage or government official holding fan with both hands. The figure is clad in a long, flowing robe with wide sleeves, and a distinct, rounded official's or scholar's cap. This may attribute it to the figures like Zhongli Quan, one of the Eight Immortals in Taoist mythology. He is an Immortal often depicted with a fan, used to bring the dead back to life or to ward off evil. The carving has a dark finish and is mounted on a separate wooden ba...

Japanese carved boxwood scepter intricately carved in the shape of a skull. The shaft features some natural, knotty texture and additional carved characters further down the length. It is adorned with dark green cord and matching tassels. The characters below the skull are 乾隆作 (Qiánlóng zuò). This translates to "Made during the Qianlong era" or "Made by Qianlong". The carved characters on the staff appear to be Japanese Kanji that hold a Buddhist meaning related to the future Bud...

A Japanese wooden sculpture in the form of a sphere, featuring a dragon carved in high relief and fully in the round, wrapping entirely around the surface. The sphere may be interpreted symbolically as a tama, the sacred jewel traditionally associated with power and protection. The signature Ipposai is engraved on the reverse, beside the tail. Complete with the original wooden storage box (tomobako). Period: Edo period, mid-19th century Dimensions: 18.5 cm Condition: Excellent conditi...

Well balanced Antique Japanese handcarved ranma (architectural transom panel) depicts a dynamic kirin moving toward a luxuriant bloom of peonies, all rendered in deep relief from a single hardwood plank. The carving demonstrates exceptional control of depth and texture—seen in the kirin’s swirling mane and scaled body, and in the layered petals and foliage of the peony blossoms. Frame is finished in black lacquer.

The reverse side of this exceptional Japanese ranma reveals a s...