Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art (345)

Japanese Antique Walking Stick of Bamboo and Bamboo Root with a wonderfully carved Shangri-la scene depicting a goddess' arms extending to reach the Heavenly Peaches of Immortality. A fun and delightful work of Japanese art that you can take with you anywhere you go. 35.5 inches (90cm).

Rare Bamboo and Bamboo Root Antique Japanese Fishing Pole converts to a Cane carved with a playful Monkey and Snake and auspicious symbols. The 35 inch ((89cm) walking stick extends to an 83 inch (211cm) fishing pole! A unique find for the collector of Japanese art.

A Japanese Ikebana bleached willow wood flower arranging vase from the Meiji Period. This wonderful natural sculpture has a presence to offset the most traditional Ikebana arrangements. 21 inches (53 cm) high, 33 inches (84 cm) diameter.

Late Edo Period (1850-1868) Japanese Musha Ningyô (Boys Day Doll) wearing an Eboshi, a court hat and robes with crests. He is seated in a court position and has a handsomely caved face. His silk fiber hairs are tied in a top knot. This is a well executed example. 11 inches (28cm) tall. From a widely renowned and published collection that has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum and Japan Society.

Antique Japanese Carpenter Reel, Sumi Tsubo, Ink Line. 8.25 x 3.5 inches, 21 x 9 cm. It is rare to see sumi tsubo (Japanese carpenter's reel or inkline used for layout) fully intact with all its parts, including line and original stick pin, like this one. The Japanese word for tools is Dogu, which was originally the word for an itinerant monk's belongings. It alludes to the spiritual value which craftsmen put on their tools. Japanese antique carpenter tools are now artifacts with history and beauty and lots of personality, and of course now make great decorative objects. In the West, there were no carpentry tools in which the ink well, marking thread, winding wheel, and stickpin were united into one piece. This tool played a pivotal role in the development of Japanese architecture. They are beautiful hand carved sculpture and works of art in their own right. From the collection of Irwin Hersey, renowned author on Asian and primitive art, and publisher of the Primitive Art Newsletter in the 1970s. Irwin Hersey was an advisor to museums and prominent collectors, and vetted pieces for many of the international tribal art fairs and Asian art fairs.

Large Japanese Okimono Sculpture of Jurōjin, God of Longevity with a turtle, also a symbol of long life, and a young boy representing the beginning of life. Exquisitely carved from one piece of boxwood with a beautiful, rich patina. 15.75 inches, 40 cm. In Japan, Jurōjin is one of the Daoist Seven Gods of Fortune, or Shichifukujin. He is the God of Longevity. Jurōjin originated from the Chinese Daoist god, the Old Man of the South Pole. He may have been and historical figure of the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127). Jurōjin is identified as the personification of the Southern Polar Star. Paintings and sculpture of Jurōjin are considered auspicious.

Very Rare and Fine Antique Japanese Basket by Suiko. Top Quality Artistry and Workmanship. This very basket is often imitated (the greatest form of flattery) and is widely known because of the copies, but now you have the rare opportunity of owning the signed original. Truly a remarkable find. 20 inches (51cm) high x 10 inches (25.5cm) wide.

A very important find and a great day for the serious Satsuma collector who acquires this exceedingly rare pair of plates of breathtaking beauty, detail and color by the renowned Satsuma Master, Ryozan, depicting the two Goddesses of the Seven Lucky Gods, Benzai-ten and Kichijo-ten (Kichijo-ten sometimes replaces Fukurokuju in portrayals of the Seven Lucky Gods). These Goddesses of Good Luck, Happiness, and Learning are patrons of geisha and artists and are venerated by speculators, entrepreneurs and tradesmen who pray for luck in business and love. This is a one-of-a-kind portrayal and format by Ryozan, one of the foremost Satsuma artists of 19th Century Japan. 9 inches, 23 cm. Excellent Condition.

Huge (36 inches, 91.5 cm across!) Japanese Meiji Period (1868-1912) Cloisonné Charger with Flower and Bird motif. This is one of the most fantastic 19th Century Japanese Cloisonné works we have ever seen. The colors are magnificent and most vivid on a Robin Egg Blue field framed with a gorgeous pattern. The size is amazing and with the stunningly rendered flowers and birds, it makes for a rare, breathtaking exhibitor work of art that will be a spectacular center piece for any home or office. Excellent Condition.

Antique Japanese Carpenter Reel, Sumi Tsubo, Ink Line. 9.25 x 3 inches, 23.5 x 8 cm. It is rare to see sumi tsubo (Japanese carpenter's reel or inkline used for layout) fully intact with all its parts, including line and original stick pin, like this one. The Japanese word for tools is Dogu, which was originally the word for an itinerant monk's belongings. It alludes to the spiritual value which craftsmen put on their tools. Japanese antique carpenter tools are now artifacts with history and beauty and lots of personality, and of course now make great decorative objects. In the West, there were no carpentry tools in which the ink well, marking thread, winding wheel, and stickpin were united into one piece. This tool played a pivotal role in the development of Japanese architecture. They are beautiful hand carved sculpture and works of art in their own right. From the collection of Irwin Hersey, renowned author on Asian and primitive art, and publisher of the Primitive Art Newsletter in the 1970s. Irwin Hersey was an advisor to museums and prominent collectors, and vetted pieces for many of the international tribal art fairs and Asian art fairs.

A rare Musha Ningyo three piece set featuring Ojin, Kato Kiyomasa and Attendant, from the Late Edo Period of the 19th Century. It is very unusual to find a set like this in a complete state with all its accessories and original display stand. They all have great faces and sumptuous brocades. The way they work together is very special. Overall height with stand is 17 inches (43cm). Excellent Condition.

Early Meiji Maneki Neko (Beckoning Cat), believed to bring wealth and good luck, from the collection of a renowned author on and collector of Asian art. The fur is white with random black and orange patches. This tri-coloring is considered especially lucky. This belief may be related to the rarity of this coloring in the Japanese bobtail cats, after which the Maneki Neko is modeled. This coloring is called Mi-ke in Japanese, meaning three-fur. 7.5 inches, 19 cm tall.

19th Century Japanese Cloisonné dish featuring a bijin (beautiful young girl) holding irises and rendered in the style of Ukiyo-e. This unusual work of art displays stunning colors with rich royal foil background and aspects of foil throughout. It is of the highest quality, with multicolored flowers and foliage. This exceptional Cloisonné is a gorgeous addition for the finest collection. 7.5 inches (19cm) wide.

This striking black and gold Japanese antique shop sign is from a Meiji Era (1868 - 1912) headquarters for a drug store chain. It dramatically declares that this shop carries the best elixirs for vitality, the best remedies for high blood pressure, and the most expedient cures for fever. 17.5 x 41 inches (44.5 x 104 cm). Excellent Condition.

Yoshitoshi Tsukioka's Very Scarce (only about a dozen known copies) Book with Six Full Oban Size Prints, The Flowers of Japan and the Art of Floral Arrangement (First Edition). This is the best known existing copy of this book. Because the prints are in a book, they have been exposed to almost no light, so the colors are more vivid than anything you will ever see. Because there is no color loss, this is a unique opportunity to see what antique Japanese woodblock prints must have looked like when they were new. All but one of the prints are pristine (one has a small spot and a smudge in the margin). Even the text pages are remarkably white, indicating that very high quality, low-acidity paper was used, and the book has been well conserved. Besides Yoshitoshi's 6 oban size (10.5 x14 inches) prints, there are also 4 beautiful prints of Japanese interiors by Kawanabe Kiosui, daughter of Kiosai (or Kyosai), and 54 more full page plates depicting flower arrangements. In addition to these gorgeous and exceedingly rare prints, you get the much reprinted and still authoritative English text on the art of traditional Japanese floral arrangement. The one other copy of this book that is available on the market today is a water stained copy with an asking price of $1475.00. One of the silk ties is missing from the binding of our copy, but the book is still very solid and stable. The cloth at the head of the spine is slightly worn, and there is wear to the cover, a dark line across the corner of one b & w plate, and a 2 inch tear in the fore edge of the title page, otherwise the contents are fine and tight. A beautiful volume and a major monograph addressing the methods of flower arranging, seasonal arrangements, festive arrangements, flower vessels, ceremonies, etiquette, manipulation of cuttings, how to preserve flowers, practical examples, glossary of Japanese terms, selection of material, the history & theory of flower arrangement, and prohibited flowers. The most important and first flower arrangement monograph done in English in the 19th Century. The front and back covers are also by Yoshitoshi!

Edo Period Japanese Musha Ningyô (Boy's Day Doll) depicting the legendary Toyotomi Hideyoshi seated in a court position wearing dramatic brocades and lacquered armor, a fan in his right hand and wearing a classic Eboshi cap. His face is finely carved with a regal expression. Height: 15 inches (38cm), width: 15 inches (38cm).

An extremely rare and very large 19th Century Meiji Period Japanese Iki Ningyo (living figure) of a young Bijin. An exquisite Ningyo representing idealized feminine Japanese beauty. She is posing as if for a photograph or for an artist. Every aspect is hyper realistic: the hair, eye lashes, accessories, and the painted kimono. She is holding a silver mirror and hair ornament as part of a collection of hair ornaments featuring a lacquered comb. Her beautiful face changes from different angles. Iki Ningyo in feminine form are rare; most are male forms. 27 inches, 68.5 cm.

Japanese Late Edo Period Bronze and Cloisonne Phoenix Incense Burner, presented as a fantastic rendition of the subject, with gorgeous colorful inlay creating a great work of art. Height: 10.5 inches (17cm), length: 11 inches (18cm).