Antique Japanese bandori, peasant's woven back pad for carrying heavy loads. Woven of re purposed cotton cloth, this bandori is outfitted with shoulder straps and is folded on the bottom for extra padding. The back pad is made of cotton from two different textile: a brown striped cotton and light blue and white pattern on cotton. A bandori is made specially for the person carrying the load so it is beautifully unique in it's materials and construction.

Age: Taisho Period... Click for details

Japanese Antique Kesa Cloth (Buddhist Priest's Vestment) made with prized brocade displaying the crest of the Tokugawa shogunate and framed with a rare purple and gold silk brocade with red accents. The "triple hollyhock" mon belonged to the Tokugawa feudal military government of Edo Japan (1600-1868).

Often described as a mantel or robe, the kesa is worn draped diagonally over the left shoulder and under the right armpit. Meant as a reminder of the Buddha's own simple patched... Click for details

Japanese antique rectangular kesa or priest/monk's outer vestment cloth. The silk brocade of this kesa is a pale orange color and finely woven with colorful designs of dragons in clouds. The silk is Imperial Chinese, as shown by the five clawed dragons. Lined with dark blue silk.

Often described as a mantel or robe, the kesa is worn draped diagonally over the left shoulder and under the right armpit. Meant as a reminder of the Buddha's own simple patched garment, kesa are formed... Click for details

Antique Japanese textile decorated with a design of tea ceremony utensils. Small items such as a bamboo ladle for water (hishaku), a container of charcoal, cups, a tea whisk (chasen), a container for water (mizusashi), and other items surround a large central image of a portable iron tea kettle (kama) and brazier (furo). This design in done using a paste resist and indigo dye. A lovely blue color in four panels sewn together. 5 tabs at the top suggest it was used for a curtain similar to a... Click for details

Antique Japanese Buddhist Pilgrim's coat. Buddhist monks associated with the teachings of Kukai (or Kobo Daishi) would embark on a pilgrimage to visit the 88 temples on the island of Shikoku. Upon arriving to each temple, the monk would bathe before giving offerings and reciting prayers as well as receive a stamp distinctive to each temple. Normally a monk would carry around a special stamp book however it is not unusual to stamp the monk's coat as seen here. Made of asa (hemp).

Age:... Click for details

Japanese small kesa, Buddhist priest's vestment cloth to be worn over robes. Often described as a mantel or robe, the kesa is worn draped diagonally over the left shoulder and under the right armpit. Meant as a reminder of the Buddha's own simple patched garment, kesa are formed from fragments of cloth donated to the temple by wealthy devotees. Within each garment, the fragments are typically organized in a series of columns framed by a border with angled corners. The number of columns, in this... Click for details

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

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

Antique Japanese firman's jacket, hakeshibanten, cotton indigo dyed with sashiko stitching and freehand paste resist decoration (tsutsugaki). Middle back of jacket with round mon holding the red colored hiragana character "ha". Even wear overall.

Edo Period, Circa 1850s

Size" 33"H x 41"L

Antique Japanese long silk textile, possibly used as an altar cloth. Made of blue silk and woven with thin strips of metal leaf covered paper in a dramatic scene of a dragon in swirling clouds above waves. Framed in antique silk textile with woven designs of dragons.

Meiji Period (1868-1912)

Dimensions: 36" wide x 11 1/2 feet long