Suzuribako box (empty) in black lacquer. Gold maki-e decoration of a river bordered by peonies, one with red highlights. The edges of the lid are in gold lacquer. Nashi-ji interior.

Japan – Meiji era (1868-1912)
Height: 1.8 in (4.7 cm) – width : 8.3 in (21.3 cm) – dept: 10 in (25.5 cm)

Saito Hodo (aka Nishimura Hodo)
A balcony scene with falling cherry blossoms
Date: 1920s.
Size: Oban. 15.25 x 10.25 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo.
Signed "H. Saito" by the artist.
Medium: Japanese watercolor.
Condition: Faint matte line.
Note: Paintings and woodblock prints variously signed as "H. Saito" (Saito Hodo) and "Nishimura Hodo" were published by Takemura Hideo. They are very likely by the same artist...

Saito Hodo (aka Nishimura Hodo)
Two women walking on a spring night
Date: 1920s-1930s.
Size: Oban. 15.5 x 10.25 inches.
Publisher: Takemura Hideo (label on back).
Signed "H. Saito" by the artist.
Medium: Japanese watercolor.
Condition: Excellent.
Note: Paintings and woodblock prints variously signed "H. Saito" (Saito Hodo) and "Nishimura Hodo" were published by Takemura Hideo. They are very likely by the same artist...

BOY

Only a head part of wood carving statue in such typically retro Japanese boy's hair style of Showa period, 20th century, approx. H 19.5 x W 20 x D 18.5 cm (7.67 x 7.87 x 7.28in)...

A really old Japanese lacquer wooden mizusashi for the tea ceremony, made of cherry wood with its original lacquered lid. It dates from the later Edo Period. Such wooden mizusashis are really rare. It is elegantly proportioned and has a black lacquered interior.

Mizusashi is a fresh water jar with a lid used in the traditional Japanese tea ceremony to fill the boiling kettle and rinse the tea bowls...

Maiwai is a kimono having been given to fishermen from a fish boat owner on the occasion of the large catch. It is seen along the Pacific Ocean, from Aomori to Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka prefecture. The motifs of the picture are auspicious ones such as crane, turtle, large sake cup and sea birds, and also the name of boat in the banner with katazome (stencil-resist-dye). It is vegetable indigo dye and colored with pigments...

"Sorihiki-happi"from Yusa in Yamagata prefecture which was worn for sleigh pulling. It has cloth with sashiko for reinforcement diagonally, from shoulder to one side of the body, and also both sides. It was worn when sorihiki pull down a sleigh with firewood from the mountain to the foot of the mountain. Yusa sashiko is one of Shonai sashiko in Yamagata prefecture. This happi has fine horizontal as well as vertical sashiko on whole ground cloth...

An antique Japanese Sendai Tansu in a rare 2 section design made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware with Urushi lacquer finish. Rounded Mokko style handles with Chrysanthemum lock plates surrounded by an arabesque leaf pattern. Four large drawers with a hinged security door that hides two small drawers.

Age: Meiji Era (1870-1880)

Dimensions: 46" Wide by 43 1/8" High by 17 3/8" Deep

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made of Kiri (Paulownia) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware and aged patina finish. Warabite style handles. Straight dovetail Japanese joinery and hardened wood nails were incorporated into its design. Five drawers with a hinged security door that behind hides two small drawers.

Age: Meiji Period (1880-1890)

Dimensions: 29 1/4" Wide by 26 3/8" High by 15" Deep

Ohara Shoson (Koson)
Goldfish
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.25 x 10.25 inches.
Date: 1926. This edition post-1957.
Publisher: Watanabe. Round 7mm publisher's seal at lower right.
Reference: S39.6 and cat. 171 in Crows, Cranes and Camellias: The Natural World of Ohara Koson (Reigle Newland).
Condition: Removed from original window matte. Slightly toned.

Wood tray with urushi painted whose technique is free and irregular. It might be made not for sale, however, it is unique and interesting. The first half of the 20th century. In good condition except for a few minor chips on the rim. Diameter:30cm, H:4cm

Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this mid-Edo period vase embodies simplicity, beauty, and understated elegance. Its unassuming form showcases the natural beauty of the clay, enhanced by a delicate ash glaze. The texture and shape evoke a sense of rustic charm, reflecting the profound harmony between human creativity and the organic world...

During Japan's Momoyama period, spanning from the late 16th to the early 17th century, Bizen pottery flourished, producing exquisite pieces such as this symmetrical and elegant flower vase. Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this vase embodies simplicity and understated elegance. Its unassuming form showcases the natural beauty of the clay, enhanced by a delicate ash glaze...

Found in a small antique shop in central Kyoto, this piece immediately caught my eye and I knew I had to buy it. With no original box and a potting mark that could not be deciphered, this one remains a beautiful mystery. The style itself is very close to that of internationally renowned 8th generation Hagi potter Kaneta Masanao (b. 1953); so much so in fact that we decided to contact this artist to see if it was one of their pieces. They courteously replied back that it was not...

The last work by this important artist, a five piece stacking box decorated in iconic Dragonflies by Okada Yuji enclosed in a custom made wooden storage box. This piece was completed in 2022, shortly before he passed away. The dragonflies are performed in colored lacquer and gold powder with carved and polished Yellow and White Oyster-shell eyes...

The poem accompanying the artwork on this antique scroll reads: Fishing little trout—Precious drops of dew glisten—Flowing with the blossoms—The mountains and rivers of spring! (Rengetsu, age 78). A rather later and mature work by Rengetsu, this piece was created right as Edo ended and Meiji began, marking a major turning point in Japanese history and culture.

Ōtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was born into a Samurai family but soon after adopted by the Ōtagaki fami...

Cotton cloth, called "yu-age”, which is used for a newborn baby. It is ordered by parents of a mother as a congratulatory gift. It has tsutsugaki auspicious motifs, such as a crane, a turtle, pine tree, plum blooms and bamboos. Red part in the top corner is for wiping baby's face, because red color is thought to be good for baby's eyes. It is from Izumo region in Shimane prefecture. In good condition, but the red and indigo blue are a bit faded. Meiji period (1868∼1912）65㎝ x 103cm

Amazing boro sodenashi (sleeveless) noragi, whose ground cloth as well as mending patches are mostly vegetable indigo dye cotton cloth. Some of sashiko yarns are indigo dye hemp. Late 19th century. It is from Niigata prefecture. W:62cm, L:80cm