Antique Japanese long silk altar cloth embroidered with three phoenix birds, also called Hou-ou birds. The mythical birds represents fire, sun, justice, obedience, fidelity, and the southern constellations. The phoenix also symbolizes the imperial household, specifically the empress. The embroiderer expresses flowing movement in in the wings and feathers of the great birds.

Age: Edo Period (early 1800's)

Dimensions: 23 1/2" high x 145" long

This is a rare antique Japanese porcelain Maneki Neko (beckoning cat) in a side sitting pose with its left paw raised to bring happiness and good luck to its owner. It was entirely hand painted and features a Botan (Peony) flower as its main collar decoration. Its peaceful face is beautiful and serene and its fox-like raised ears shows that it is listening to the surrounding sounds.

An interesting feature is its open base and holes through each ear suggesting that its main purpose when... Click for details

Japanese Edo Period scroll painting of a yamabushi, a mountain ascetic hermit or holy man. Often believed to be endowed with supernatural powers, the yamabusi follow the Shugendo doctrine, a religion that places heavy emphasis on feats of endurance. Throughout history, they have participated in battles along side samurai. In this painting, the warrior/sage is leaning on a walking stick. He is dressed only in leaves and animal skins. A hyotan gourd tokkuri flask hangs from a chord slung... Click for details

Antique Japanese screen painting of a beautiful woman or man, possibly a taikomochi or male geisha smoking a long pipe, leaning on a padded lacquered stand and wearing elegant flowing robes patterned with flowers. In the background stands a ink painting of a mountain landscape. The right hand panel is painted with a standing kimono rack, lacquered black with gold butterflies. Hanging from the rack are two exquisitely embroidered kimonos in the manner of the classic "who's sleeves?" subject... Click for details

Antique Japanese 2-panel byobu screen. Covered with small squares of pale gold leaf. That this is antique is told by the size and quality of the gold leaf squares.

Dimensions: 35 1/4" high x 51 1/2" long

Japanese antique rectangular kesa or priest/monk's outer vestment cloth. This asa (hemp) kesa is a yellow/gold color and finely woven with a design of phoenixes and clouds.

Often described as a mantel or robe, the kesa is worn draped diagonally over the left shoulder and under the right armpit. It is meant as a reminder of the Buddha's own simple patched garment, kesa are formed from many fragments of the same cloth. Within each garment, the fragments are typically organized in a... Click for details

Unusual colored Imari porcelain sake server with panels depicting a beauty and a courtier, flying cranes in background with scrolling vine and shippo design, gilt bronze rim at opening. Colors of medium blue, orange, red, brown and black. With fluted sides and 6 character mark on recessed bottom. Good condition.

Edo period, circa early 1800s

Size: 9.5"H x 6"D

Japanese screen painting in two panels of butterflies and moths. The etherial quality of the fluttering creatures is conveyed by delicately painted details and movement. Painted in mineral colors on silk. Each rectangular silk composition has been mounted on a ground of gold leaf on paper. Seal mark on the left hand panel: Watanabe Kiyoshi.

Watanabe Kiyoshi (1778-1861) was born into a family specializing in embroidery in Nagoya. He studied painting in the Kano style under Yoshikawa... Click for details

Antique 2-panels screen painting from the interior of a wealthy home in Momoyama Period Japan. Each of these two rectangular shaped panels is painted with a fan shaped reserve. The fan on the left panel is painted with a branch of blossoming white flowers, possibly dogwood and is shadowed by another blue and gold fan shaped reserve. The fan on the right panel is painted in ink with a bird on a branch and shadowed with a green and gold fan. Both fan reserves are painted over a brilliantly... Click for details

Antique Japanese pair of screen paintings, one of early Summer (or Spring): rabbits, blossoming wisteria and peonies. And the other of Winter: birds including sparrows and kingfishers with snow-covered bamboo and red clusters of berries on a large nandia bush. Painted using mineral colors and gold leaf on paper. Signed Eigaku Kano (1790-1867).

Eigaku Kano was the ninth head of the "Kyo Kano", the Kyoto branch of the Kano School. He is credited for reviving the Kano School and... Click for details