Pair of antique Japanese Inari foxes hand carved out of granite stone. Each has traces of the original mineral pigment. Also called zenko, these good spirit kitsune (foxes) are specifically associated with the goddess, Inari.
Believed to be both messengers and guardians, kitsune served Inari in her role as goddess of agriculture, specifically rice. Part of the folklore surrounding the fox is it’s ability to shape shift into human form. It is believed that Inari Okami herself sometimes...

Exceptional Pair of Monumental 17th C. Japanese Bronze Temple Lanterns A pair of exceptional and extremely rare bronze antique 17th century Japanese lanterns from a prominent Tokugawa temple courtyard. Each lantern is made of 10 individual cast bronze sections. Heavenly creatures and symbology are abundant and include: fu-dogs, apsaras (Heavenly People & Celestial Beings), scholars objects and swirling clouds seen throughout.
Apsaras a symbol of beauty, good fortune, fertility, heaven....

Ito Yuhan
Kiyomizu Temple (Temple Corner)
Date: 1930s.
Size: Oban. Approximately 15.75 x 10.5 inches.
Publisher: Nishinomiya Yosaku. Seal at the left margin. Back stamp: "All Rights Reserved. Y. Nishinomiya, Kami-Negishi, Tokyo."
Sealed "Yuhan" in Japanese within the image.
Medium: Japanese woodblock print.
Condition: Foxing spots and toning. Tape remnants at top back.
Note: This print has the above condition issues as shown but is a pleasing early exampl...

Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and showcasing a soft and gracefully executed red glaze, this Raku tea bowl exudes a sense of ease, tenderness, and tranquility. Adorned with subtle crackling patterns and variations in texture, the tea bowl's surface adds to its unique and organic feel. Made by one of the true veterans of Japanese pottery, these are some of the finest Raku tea bowls you will find in all of Japan.

Sugimoto (b. 1935) is one of the most important...

Crafted from locally sourced Bizen clay, this mid-Edo period vase embodies simplicity, beauty, and understated elegance. Originally crafted as a tokkuri, or sake flask, it was recovered from the estate of a tea-practitioner who reportedly cherished it as a vase that would hold colorful flowers and various grasses throughout the seasons.

Thanks to the dedication and passion of a researcher by the name of Katsura Matasaburo (1901-1986) we can be assured that this vase is a...

Japanese bamboo crafting, known as "Takezaiku," is a traditional art form that involves the skilled manipulation of bamboo to create various functional and decorative objects. Craftsmen trained in this art carefully select bamboo of appropriate size and quality, then use specialized tools to cut, shape, and join the bamboo pieces. Techniques such as splitting, bending, weaving, and binding are employed to achieve intricate designs and durable structures. Bamboo crafting encompasses a...

This scroll contains a sutra written as [寿至蓬莱不老僊], pronounced in Japanese as “Jyu-Ita-Hōrai-Furō-Sen.” Originating from Chinese, the characters “蓬莱” refer to the mythical land of “Penglai,” home to the immortals. According to legend the trees that grow here cure all disease; there are rice bowls and flasks of wine that never go empty; and its great castles are built entirely out of gold and silver.

The brushwork is done by a Rinzai sect m...

Antique Japanese 4-panel small screen painting of landscape. Mountain landscape with rocky outcroppings, huts and trees on the edge of a wide expanse of water. A group of scholars contemplate a water fall. More figures sit outside waterside huts. A lone figure fishes from a boat. Painted in ink and light colors on paper. Signed Unkoku Toeki (1591-1644).
Unkoku Toeki was the second son of Unkoku Tōgan. (1547–1618), heir to the artistic legacy and patrons of Sesshû Tōyō (1420–15...

This piece was fired in the kilns of one of Kyoto’s most prolific Raku-yaki workshops by an artist known as Heian Shoraku. In 1905, the first generation Shoraku established a kiln near the famous Kiyomizu temple, nestled at the foot of the eastern mountains in Kyoto. In 1945, the kiln was moved to Kameoka near Yada shrine where it remains today. While not directly associated with the famous Kyoto potting family now in its 16th generation and stretching back over 450 years, this pot...

During the Meiji period in Japan, the humble iron kettle, known as a "tetsubin," emerged as an iconic symbol of traditional craftsmanship and functional artistry. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail and often adorned with intricate designs—as can be seen here with a cherry blossom motif and a what appears to be a pine-cone for a gripper—they became an essential tool in the Japanese tea ceremony. These kettles were prized not only for their practicality in boiling water bu...

Antique Chinese pair of ceramic roof tiles in the form of flying horses. Galloping through swirling clouds with back legs kicking. Glazed yellow with black details.

Age: Qing Dynasty

Dimensions: 9 1/2" high x 10 1/2" long x 5" wide

A pair of 1950’s variegated green serpentine jade stone Chinese phoenix birds with rosewood stands. The birds have great sharp details with wonderful coloring, and the polishing is simply gorgeous. The stands are deep rosewood and carved to fit each piece. In excellent condition, they measure 9.5” high on stand. Birds only measure 8" high, 4" wide, 1.5" thick. NOTE: Serpentine stone as is often referred to as "serpentine jade" due to its many similarities to jade such as its hardness, ...

Antique Chinese fudog. Carved of heavy, hardwood and lacquered red and gold. Intricate details especially in the carving of the fur.

Age: Mid-Century

Dimensions: 13 1/2" high x 25" long x 14" deep

Ota Shumin (1884-1950, Japanese)
Boats on River (given title).
Date: 1930s.
Size: Oban. 17.25 x 12.625 inches.
Signed "Shumin" by the artist.
Medium: Japanese watercolor.
Condition: Tonal difference at edges where formerly matted. Light creasing visible in side light.
Note: Shumin participated in a painting event at the 1936 Olympics.

Fine Chinese Song Dynasty Qingbai Glazed Porcelain Bowl with Moulded Floral Decoration

This fine porcelain bowl was made in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD1127 - 1279) around the 13th - 14th Century. The inner surface is decorated with a deep and crisp moulded pattern featuring lotus blossoms above which is a key fret band. Save for the unglazed rim, it is coated in a very finely-crackled qingbai glaze of a pale yellowish-green colour.

Diameter 15.5 cm (6 inches). It is a lovely example in...

An antique Japanese Ikebana bamboo basket in an elegant satchel style with woven bamboo rope handle. Original smoked patina with flattened bamboo panels interwoven with the construction of the weave. Finished with a volcanic ash. Bottom has three bamboo slats woven into a triangular structure. Comes with lined bamboo insert.

Age: Meiji Period (1880-1900)

Dimensions: 16 1/2" High by 10 1/2" Diameter

A Japanese painting of a pair of songbirds perched atop a Peony Tree. Mounted single panel using a colored Sumie technique. Silk bordered on a silver leaf background.

Age: Taisho Period (1912-1926)

Dimensions: 70" High by 28 5/8" Wide

An antique Japanese Ikebana bamboo basket in a tall slender design. With a matched Wisteria handle that sweeps high over the top of the basket and dramatically extends to the waist. The body is divided by three levels, each separated by a distinct weave. Base is comprised of three layered concentric rings that provide a strong foundation for this work of art.

Age: Meiji Period (1880-1900)

Dimensions: 7 1/2" Diameter by 23 3/4" High