A very finely painted Nabeshima Okawachi porcelain bowl on a high footrim of Mokuhaigata form decorated in under-glaze blue with a pattern of five Hydrangea's in Bloom painted in “Korin Style”. The reverse decorated with three Peony motifs, botan karakusa, and the foot-ring with finely painted kushide comb pattern to the outside of the footring. The dish dates to the late Edo period circa 1800-1840...

A matte-glazed sculptural stoneware form by contemporary female artist Tanaka Yu enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Tsutusmi-mono 2020. The piece is made to look like a cloth sack. It is an unusual lavender color, quite pleasing and no one can resist touching it. The sculpture is 20 x 12 x 21 cm (Roughly 5 x 8 x 8 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Tanaka Yu was born in 1989, and graduated the Kyoto Saga University of Arts in 2013...

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made entirely of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original bronze hardware including the stylized Gumbai handles and the metal embossings symbolizing the four seasons; Maple leaves on the handles representing the Fall season, Mums representing Spring, etc. Constructed using straight dovetail joinery and hardened wooden nails.

Age: Meiji Era (1900-1910)

Dimensions: 23 1/4" Wide by 16 1/4" High by 11 1/4" Deep

A Kakiemon Small Dish. Decorated with a bird on a prunus branch with rocks and water. Kakiemon Arita L17thC. Diameter; 11.3 cm. Condition; small double chip under the rim

An Arita Blue and White Tea Bowl and Saucer. Decorated with a Sage and attendant visiting a Lady, two geese seemingly arguing below them. Arita, Japan C17/18thC. Diameter saucer; 11.6 cm. Condition; tea bowl perfect, some glaze crazing to the saucer

An exquisite dark bronze image of the deity Benzaiten playing a four stringed lute known as a Biwa signed in a cartouche inset into the base and dating from the early 20th century (Later Meiji to taisho period). The figure is 20 x 16 x 18 cm (8 x 6 x 7 inches) and is in excellent condition.
Benzaiten (or Benten) is the Japanese embodiment of Saraswati, the hindu god of the arts. Benzaiten is depicted a number of ways in Japanese art...

An antique Japanese Todana Tansu (cabinet chest) made of Keyaki (Zelkova) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron handles including the Warabite handles. Two sliding doors behind which lies a large storage area, a lift-out door where additional storage was used and 6 drawers of varying sizes used to organize ones belongings. Side slates added strength and support. Constructed using both single and double through mortise and tenon Japanese joinery...

A dramatic Shino Mizusashi covered in flowing glaze by Sakai Kobu enclosed in the original signed wooden box. It is 20 cm tall, 19cm diameter and in excellent condition.
“I follow no teacher. I take no disciples. Independent, I don't get along well with public exhibitions”. Kobu Sakai from Toki City, one of Japan’s ceramic heartlands, has mastered Shino through self-study. He succeeded a kiln mass producing generic pottery, but decided he wanted to make his own works...

Solid wooden folk art carving of a giant penis. Strapped around it are red and white twisted cotton cords (imenawash) with paper strips (gohei). Penises of this size were donated to Shinto shrines dedicated to fertility, in the hopes of getting pregnant. Or they were carried around during fertility festivals.

Cryptomeria (sugi) wood, red and white cotton, paper

Japan, 20th century

H 24.5 inches (62.2 cm)

Excellent condition

Highly unusual sculpture of two natural ruyi mushrooms ‘growing’ from a piece of wood. At the foot of the mushrooms sits a small frog.
Natural piece of (drift) wood, natural mushrooms, frog of stained stag horn.
The mushrooms mounted with wire and resin.

Japan, Meiji era. Unsigned.

Ca. H 7 x W 14 x D 6 inches.

The smaller mushroom was broken off and re-attached unprofessionally.

Wall vase of irregular cylindrical shape. Middle brown stoneware with irregular natural ash glaze dripping decoration. Metal eye at the back for hanging. Marked with 3 dots at bottom, which is the mark of the Karatsu potter Nakazato Toraemon XII Muan. Japan, around 1960s/1970s.

H ca 7 in., W at foot 4 ¼ in.

Mint condition. The piece does not come with a box.

Nakazato Muan (1895-1985) inherited the artist name Taroemon XII, in 1927, following his father who was Taroemon XI...

Futonji with tsutsugaki (paste-resist-dye with free-hand)) auspicious motifs, such as crane, treasure ball, plum flower, bamboo, pine, fan etc. It is made of hand-spun cotton and vegetable indigo dye. In excellent condition except for a mending patch and a few tiny holes (4mm x 4mm). Meiji period (1968～1912). 126cm x 148cm.

very bn

CURSIVE BUDDHIST HYMN

Precious portable book of 'goeika' (Buddhist hymn) in such rare style of only 'hiragana' (Japanese cursive syllabary) when used for the Buddhist pilgrimage to the celebrated 34 Buddhist temples in Chichibu area and the 33 Buddhist temples in Kinki-Gifu area. Showa 8 (1933)...

An unusually small and rare antique Japanese Cha Tansu (tea chest) made of Kuwa (Mulberry) and Kuri (Chestnut) woods. All original bronze hardware. Two sliding doors behind which tea accessories were stored. A lift-out door behind which housed a tea canister of dried tea leaves ready for brewing. With four drawers of varying sizes to store additional tea accoutrements.

Age: Meiji Era (1900-1910)

Dimensions: 17 1/4" Wide by 18 1/4" High by 9" Deep

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made of Urushi lacquer on Kuri (Chestnut) and Sugi (Cryptomeria) woods. All original hand forged iron hardware including the Kakute style handles. Featuring 4 drawers of varying sizes and a safety hinged door hiding two small drawers where valuables were kept.

Age: Meiji Era (1880-1890)

Dimensions: 24 3/8" Wide by 22" High by 12" Deep

Antique Japanese 2-section mizuya tansu (kitchen chest) from the Mikuni area. Made with hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood framing and beautifully grained keyaki (zelkova elm) wood panels on the drawers and sliders. The frame is lacquered a rich reddish-orange while the slider frames are lacquered black. The top section has an unusual, narrow full width compartment on the very top with two sliders...

An antique Japanese Kotansu (personal storage chest) made entirely of Kiri (Paulownia) wood. All original cast bronze hardware including the Warabite handles. Straight dovetail joinery construction with hardened wooden nails. Versatile storage with 6 drawers of varying sizes.

Age: Meiji (1900-1910)

Dimensions: 24" Wide by 17 1/4" High by 11 1/4" Deep