Antique Japanese rectangular bronze censor with four legs. The lid has a pierced floral motif and a fu-dog finial. The body of the censor has dragons for handles and is encircled with a scrolling key fret motif. The front has a highly raised makara-like elephant-headed water serpent while the back has a raised peacock. The bottom has a six character mark.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 12 1/2" high x 9" long x 7" wide

Japanese scroll with calligraphy around a bridge and blooming irises. With box and extensive writing. Ink and mineral colors on paper. Post-humous work of Kenzan's famous "Yatsuhashi" Artist Ogata Kenzan (1663-1743) — biographical information here: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ogata-Kenzan And the seal at the bottom left is: 深省 An online source says this is Shinshо̄, but Shinsei could also be possible (and the bio link above mentions both) As the link says: His... Click for details

Antique Japanese scroll with a small painting of a building, possibly a shrine or a palace with gate high in the mountains and surrounded by trees. Painted in ink and light colors on silk. Calligraphy and signature and with tomobako. The seals are hard to make out but lowest two read 白山, White Mountain, Hakusan, Hakuzan artist's name.

Dimensions: Total size: 41 1/4" high x 12 1/2" wide (14 1/4" wide with rollers). Size of art: 7 3/4" high x 6 1/2" wide

Japanese antique pair of small Inari Shinto shrine foxes made of pottery with traces of Mica in the clay. Originally painted, these foxes still have traces of bright 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 the Goddess of agriculture, specifically rice. Part of the folklore surrounding the fox is it's ability to shape shift into... Click for details

Antique Japanese Zenga scroll painting of a scholar's cane or staff. Elongated vertical composition with calligraphy. Painted in sumi ink on paper. The seal with white on red says: 巨福山主 Kofuku Sanshu "Chief Priest of Kofuku" (Kofuku is the "mountain name" of Kenchō-ji temple in Kamakura) The lower seal with red on white says: 曇華 Donge So, these are the seals of Sugawara Donge (original name Sugawara Jihō) [1866-1956] (The don means cloudy/overcast; ge means... Click for details

Antique Japanese scroll painting of a rugged mountain landscape. A house is nestled between trees and rock formations. A tiny figure in the lower mid-left climbs toward the house. Tanaka Hakuin (1866 - 1934) Hakuin was born in Suruga Province (present Shizuoka Prefecture) in 1866. His real given name was Keizaburo. Hakuin is a pseudonym. In 1883, when he was 17 years old, he went to Kyoto and became a disciple of Tanomura Chokunyu, master Nanga style painter. Hakuin was good at painting... Click for details

Antique pair of Japanese menuki. These small but detailed elements of a traditional samurai sword were originally made to hide the pins (mekugi) that hold the back end of the blade (tang) to the hilt (tsuka). Made in pairs, they were positioned on either side of the handle. These menuki are especially fine and depict two men, likely sages by their long hair. Probably they are the friends, Kanzan (the Zen poet) and Jittoku (a servant at a monastery). They are made of bronze and mixed... Click for details

Antique Japanese ikebana basket for flower arranging. Made of light color split bamboo woven into a rounded form. Contrasting dark and twisting wisteria vines make up the handle and pierce the undulating form of the basket.

Age: Meiji period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 15" high x 12" wide x 11" deep

Antique Japanese round hibachi made of kiri (paulownia) wood and lacquered with highly raised maki-e design of irises and hydrangeas. Exuberant blossoms in gold and black lacquer with shell inlay. With a copper insert. This hibachi was originally used as a household brazier.

Age: Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 9" high x 15" wide

Pair of early Edo period carved Baku mythological elephants. These would have been built into the design of a temple, displayed high up by the beam construction. Hand carved with great care from a single piece of Keyaki hardwood (zelkova wood).

Baku are Japanese supernatural beings that dispel evil spirits and devour nightmares when the mouth is open and retain good spirits when the mouth is closed. They have a long history in Japanese folklore and art, and more recently have... Click for details