A rare antique Japanese Chobako (merchant desk) made entirely of Hinoki (Cypress) wood. All original patina and hand forged iron hardware including the Kakute and Warabite style handles. The front features opposing hinged security doors with 2 left drawer and 3 right drawers with a set of larger 3 drawers in between. The top has 3 hinged doors, one that housed the inkstone, one that kept the ink for the family seal and one large storage compartment...

An antique Japanese Isho Tansu (stacking Kimono chest) in 3 sections made of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original bronze hardware including the Warabite style handles and the Uchide no Kozuchi (lucky treasure hammer) sliding door pulls. Top section includes the 2 sliding doors with 3 side by side drawers below. Opening the doors reveals a split level shelf and a small drawer for hair ornament storage...

An antique Japanese Ranma (transom) made of Akita Sugi (Cryptomeria from Akita prefecture) and Hinoki (Cypress). Natural Urushi black lacquer frame. Hand carved scene featuring a good luck turtle with longevity tail admiring an old Plum Blossom tree with scatterings of Bamboo underneath.

Age: Taisho Era (1912-1920)

Dimensions: 73 1/4" Wide by 14 1/2" High.

An early Edo period Ki-Seto sake cup repurposed with a silver lid pierced with a chrysanthemum to function as an incense burner enclosed in a custom made silk pouch and bamboo case dating the transformation to New Years of Kae-7 (1854). Without the lid it is 5.5 cm (roughly 2 inches) diameter and in excellent condition.

Fireman's hat with hand-stitched sashiko (quilting). The outside cloth is dyed with vegetable indigo and the lining is dyed with natural brown. Two belts are recycled from old cotton cloth with katazome. In good condition. Meiji period (1868～1912). W:33cm, L:55cm

A rare stacking Bento (picnic) box in the shape of a tea leaf storage jar decorated in a realistic fashion with black, silver and gold maki-e lacquer. It consists of four pieces, stacked they are 28 cm (11 inches) tall, and all are in excellent condition.

A bronze crane in dark almond colored patina of superb craftsmanship dating from the late 19th to early 20th century (Meiji period). It is quite large at 48.5 cm tall (19 inches) and is in excellent condition.

ZEN ZEBRA

Upside-down Japanese bamboo ikebana vase painted in black and white calligraphy, attached with aluminum plate on the top and pink corrugated urethane foam at lower part, made by Dai Okumura (@dai_okumura), 2023, H 74.5 x W 40 x D 30cm (29.33 x 15.74 x 11.81in)

This is a form of 'Bi No Yo' (lit. 'Usage Of Beauty' - Adaptation from perfection) as a counter for the recognition of art called ‘Yo No Bi’ (lit...

Early edition Japanese shin hanga woodblock print titled "Boats at Shinagawa, Night" (aka “Shinagawa Coast”) from the series “Tokyo Views” (Tokyo Fukei) by Tsuchiya Koitsu (1870-1949) dated in the right margin "5th month of Showa 10" (1935). The black ink signature and red seal of the artist are at the lower right. The seals of the publisher Doi Sadaichi (used 1933-1945), carver Ikeda, and printer Matsushita are in the lower left margin...

A beautiful tall 3 section Mikuni Kimono Tansu made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Kiri (Paulownia) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware with Hikute handles and natural Urushi lacquer finish. Upper section has 2 sliding doors with 3 side by side drawers below. The center section has 3 full width drawers and the bottom section has 1 full width drawer, a partial width drawer and a hinged security door protecting 2 small drawers...

Antique Japanese tetsubin (pot for heating water for tea). Made of iron in round form and decorated with raised bats. The lid is made of bronze and signed on the underside.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 8 1/2" high (including handle) x 6" wide x 5" wide

Antique Japanese jingasa (samurai hat) with Ōgi (folding fan) crest. Covered in black lacquer with the mon in gold. The underside is lacquered red and still has remnants of the original silk padding. With a custom metal stand.
The samurai class in feudal Japan, as well as their retainers and footsoldiers (ashigaru), used several types of jingasa made from iron, copper, wood, paper, bamboo, or leather...

Antique Japanese 8 ken (plates) jingasa hat for a ashigaru foot soldier. Made of iron and finished with lacquer. The wear on this helm is consistent with it likely having been worn in battle...

Antique Japanese blue and white studio ware porcelain container. Made with 6 sides and a flared base. The sides are decorated with a scene of misty mountains and a small village. Small figures in a boat pole along a river which runs under a bridge and weeping willows...

A large Kakiemon low bowl painted in underglaze blue with some light enamelling in yellow, green and iron red, somenishikide style made for the Japanese domestic market. The central reserve superbly painted in sansui landscape of mountainous cliffs overhanging a body of water with two small fishing boats. The cavetto of the bowl decorated with the shochikubai, the Three Friends of Winter. The reverse decorated with krakusa with chrysanthemum form blooms, symbols of longevity...

A very unusual octagonal dish in new style enamels dating to around the year 1800, featuring three figures, the main of which is a figure wearing a buttoned jacket and perhaps a klapmut style hat with distinctive slops, which identifies him as a seaman, rather than the more usual merchant; see last image no 6 a late 18th century print of a Sailor in “slops”. The tight curls of his hair betray his foreign origin, although he retains an overall oriental appearance...

Two prints placed under glass, representing two young women, one feeding her little pet, a rat and the other practicing Ikebana, composing a bouquet of irises which will be presented in the vase placed next to her. The hairstyle is typical of women drawn by Suzuki Harunobu, but also by other artists of this period. As it would seem that the Chinese characters simply describe the scenes represented and not the name of the artist, only specialists will be able to know who it is...