Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian: Japanese (331)

Large Meiji Period Bunraku Puppet of Tokagawa Ieyasu. Extremely rare on this grand scale (4 feet high, 122 cm). This fine quality puppet was possibly made at the request of the puppeteer Kiritake Monjuro II, as the hero in Bunraku plays. It has a fantastic dynamic presence, and is carved of Poloma wood covered in gofun (oyster shell lacquer) featuring sumptuous silk brocades with Tokagawa crests and dragons.

Japanese Cloisonne Vase with elaborate flowers on silver wire over red enamel with foil design. A striking, elaborate work of art and a treasure of exquisite beauty and excellent detail. Height: 12.5 inches, 32 cm.

Japanese Keto Kyomasa Iki Ningyo. 21 inches (with helmet; 27 inches with staff and stand.

Kimikomi Ningyo by Jinku-ru. 9.25 inches, 23.5 cm.

Ningyo of Young Lady Looming Textile. 15 inches (38cm) wide x 10 inches (25.5cm) high.

Rooster and Hen Sculpture, wonderfully and finely detailed bronze over white metal with accents of red lacquer. This Art Nouveau pair is from a London collection. Japanese Art Nouvaeu flourished in Europe in the late 19th and early 20th Century. The Rooster and Hen is a popular subject in Japanese art. Symbolic of Yin and Yang, male and female. Rooster: 8 inches, 20.5 cm tall. Hen: 4.5 inches, 11.5 cm tall. Excellent Condition. From a prominent and widely exhibited collection.

Pair of Japanese Meiji Period Wood Kitchen Gods, Daikoku and Ebisu. 8 inches, 20 cm and 7.5 inches, 19 cm. Daikoku, God of Earth and Agriculture, stands on bales of rice and wields his magic mallet. Ebisu, God of Ocean and Prosperity, holds a large red sea bream tucked under his arm. This fish is an ancient symbol of good luck in Japan. Daikoku and Ebisu often appear together in the Japanese kitchen. This is a fine example of the pair of gods that Japanese have relied on for centuries to bless and protect the kitchen. 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 most unique pair of Chinese Pig Skin Trunks, obviously painted by a Japanese screen artist who made these wonderful decorative, rare creations, featuring a marvelous crane and flowers painted in the Japanese style. Late 19th to early 20th Century. 22w x 9.5h x 13.5d inches, 56 x 24 x 34 cm.

Japanese Standing Female Isho Ningyo of a Bijin, Meiji Period. 15.75 inches (40 cm).

Extremely Rare Japanese Set of Five Military Band Musicians from the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-5. We knew of this one-of-a-kind complete set 15 years ago, and have finally just now been allowed to purchase it. These rare sets were produced only during the Russo-Japanese War, and you will likely never see another being offered. Japan used these Ningyo for the Boys Day Festival during this time in history. Heights range from 10.5 to 11.5 inches, 26.5 to 29 cm. Excellent Condition.

A wonderful Meji Period Japanese cloisonne vase with an array of flowers on a pale green ground featuring a silverised metal basket weave. Height: 7 inches, 18 cm.

Late Meiji Period (circa 1900) Japanese Signed Okimono Sculpture of a pair of Mandarin Ducks, symbols of life long faithfulness and one of Japan's most beautiful birds. Original artist signed box is included. Beautifully carved of Poloma wood, one of the finest woods used in Japanese sculpture, and gorgeously painted with vivid colors. They can be exhibited in an endless variety of positions and make a wonderful object of art. 3.5 x 8 inches, 9 x 20 cm. From a widely renowned and published collection that has been exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum and Japan Society.

Japanese Meiji Period painted poloma wood door (sugido). Ink and pigment on a natural wood ground, depicting a peacock perched on a flowering cherry tree, signed/sealed Sho[ryo], the reverse with scattered cherry petals floating near a flowering dandelion plant. Possibly featured in a retreat of the upper class. Height: 70.75 inches, 180 cm; Width: 34.25 inches, 87 cm.

A signed classic Kakiemon Japanese Porcelain Vase by Meiji Period artist, Ucho, featuring a wonderful flower image with gorgeous, brilliant under glaze red on pure white glaze. This vase has the wonderful global shape of perfection. 8.5 inches (21.5 cm) tall. Excellent Condition. From a prominent and widely exhibited collection.

Japanese Cloisonné Elephant Jar. This is a wonderful, charming figure and is an unusual fine example that is a joy to behold. In a circus pose with elaborate fittings. 11.5 inches, 29 cm tall. Excellent Condition. From a prominent and widely exhibited collection.

Large Rare Japanese Clay Figure of a Young Girl playing with her pinwheel. Beautifully executed and glazed with wonderful colors, exhibiting the style of the 1920s Art Deco Period in look and form. Taisho Period. 16h x 9w x 9d inches, 40.5h x 23w x 23d cm.

A rare Japanese Fushimi clay sculpture of a Sino-Japanese War soldier. Fushimi Clay Dolls were painted dolls made of unglazed ceramic that were sold in front of the gate to Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine, starting in the 16th Century at the end of the Momoyama period. They are also called Fukakusa Dolls or Inari Dolls. A charming example of Japanese folk art of the Meiji Period. An important find for the folk art collector. 9.25 inches, 23.5 cm.

Okutani Shuseki (1871-1936) was born in Osaka and lived in Kyoto for most of his life. His artistic lineage is among the very best. He, along with Yamamoto Shunkyo and others, studied under Mori Kansai, who was the pupil and adopted son-in-law of Mori Tetsuzan, who was one of Maruyama Okyo's best pupils. Like all painters of the Mori family school, Shuseki's nature paintings are remarkable for their unsentimental naturalism, showing his keen interest in the essence of nature. He won prizes at numerous exhibitions and founded his own art school. 22 x 8.5 inches, 56 x 21.5 cm. cf. Ekkehard May and Daniel McKee's Haiku & Haiga, Amsterdam, Hotei, 2006.