Catalog: Archives: Regional Art: Asian (640)

Veins of green Kai-yu meander over the body of this spectacular example of Edo period Tamba Pottery capping rich red clay rising from an abrupt base. A few bubbles in the clay reveal character about the torso, the lip powerfully rendered over the shoulder, which slumps to one side like some haggard but still proud old soldier. Four looping handles (mimi) would allow the lid to be tied down. Between two a drip from the roof of the kiln has adhered to the clay forming a point of interest. Retaining the character of Momoyama firing techniques, and easily classified as such, I believe this dates from the early Edo period, 17th century. The Tsubo is 18 inches (46 cm) tall, 13 inches (33 cm) diameter, and without cracks or repairs. Due to size the cost of shipping will be accrued separately.

An exquisite wooden plate in cinnabar lacquer over black wrapped in a chord bound cloth bag end enclosed in an age blackened kiri-wood box dating from the Edo period. The surface of brilliant red has been worn through with handling revealing the black beneath about the rim and edges. It is 9 inches (23 cm) diameter and in excellent condition. The bottom is a brown tinged black (the brown is a product of oxidation, inherent only with age) upon which are written two characters in red. The box is titled Negoro Nuri Bon (Negoro lacquered Tray) and inside the box lid is written the name of the owner: ?hekitei Zo-gu (Collection of ?hekitei). The first character is too abbreviated to make a definitive reading.

Loops of white decorate the dark pitted glaze of this quashed bowl from the kilns of Kyushu dating from the early to mid Edo period. The small foot is testament to dating, and there is much natural wear to the dark glaze. The vessel is 14 x 10 x 6 cm (5-1/2 x 4 x 2-1/2 inches) with an age darkened chip in the rim where it rolls over on itself. It comes in a silk bag enclosed in a black lacquered antique wood box. It comes from a collection of Edo pottery, and inside the box is a receipt describing the bowl and the price 35.00 yen (about 30 cents today, but a huge sum in the pre-war years, when 1 yen was divided into 100 sen).

A set of two 18th century screens showing through an assortment of amicable characters, the traditional production of silk. Depicted with ink and light color on paper, every aspect of the process is visible in high detail from the sorting of the worms to spinning, dying, weaving, and the selling of thread and bolts of cloth. An exciting screen both from the quality of the art and from the historical narrative contained. Each screen is 67-1/2 inches by 12 feet (171 x 378 cm). It is bordered in a thin band of cream with a wide band of dark blue patterned with check-work boxes containing fortuitous symbols and has a black lacquered wooden frame. It has been remounted at some time in the long distant past, and is in fine condition.

Silver canines gleam menacingly in the corners of the mouth of this terrifying Edo period sabiji-nuri iron Menpo face mask. It has a three lame nodokake also with sabiji-nuri, laced with tight blue chord. The mustache is a bit ragged and there are typical chips around the edges from use.

Exceptional Edo p. Japanese Screen, Demon War An exceedingly rare set of four dramatic paintings divided into segments depicting a variety of battle scenes and supernatural phenomena, each heavy pigment on paper canvas mounted on one of four panels of a gold screen bordered in mulberry. The scenes appear to comprise a fragment of the tale of Daikozan (Oeyama), a Kyoto tale where in a powerful demon was lured to drink, then cut to pieces in his stupor. The screen itself is 20th century; however the paintings would date from the mid Edo. On the far right sword bearing men, priests and women run from monsters with giant heads while a cloud roiling with demonic figures bears down on the scene. A tanuki with the head of a woman can also be found here. Below women perform dance on the balcony of a palace for a long nosed tengu attracting a crowd of onlookers. The second panel is divided into four scenes of women reading a hand scroll to the same tengu from the first panel hidden behind a bamboo fence. Below we see him again seated outside a room awaiting audience with divine figures. Below this he is throttling a sword bearing soldier, a ghostly lute player on the left, and a raucous battle on the steps. On panel three the battle rages. Men hack away at each other while a head is presented indoors, and a man and demon appear ready to draw swords over the decapitated corpse. Below gory warfare rages, samurai and demon fighting indiscriminately. In the last scene a flock of birds attack one fellow, while heads topple hither and yon. The paintings were likely originally part of a larger screen, which have been cut down over time from re-mounting. The fantastic screen measures 107 inches by five feet (272 x 153 cm). There is some loss of paint; and the paintings, due to great age, are somewhat delicate.

A fabulous mid Edo period bronze brazier with satin luster made up of a basin supported by four small rabbits with two small gourd shaped handles suspended from a belt of archaic designs. The top is a large dome pierced with geometric designs known as incense clock patterns and featuring a large hinged circular opening in front. It is 22 cm diameter, 34.5 cm tall (8-1/2 x 13-1/2 inches) and in excellent condition. It comes enclosed in a wooden box titled: Moku-o Fu-kun I-ai Natsume-Gata Ko-Do Shuro (Tea-Caddy-Shaped Old Bronze Brazier Loved by Moku-o). According to the box it was a beloved possession of Doi Moku-o, the Go or alternate name of Doi Seihei (1660～1726), a Confucian scholar and follower of Sakai Shosai of the mid-Edo period specializing in Shushigaku (Cheng-Zhu) Confucianism.

A comic scene in ink on paper of boys herding oxen by Nagasawa Rosetsu spreads across these two low screens. The central characters, one in the lead the second astride one of the behemoths crossing a bridge is distracted by a butterfly floating by above while the beast in front steps on its own rope, pulling his head back to the viewer with a quizzical expression. Other oxen and boys populate the background. All is performed in very soft gray tones with abbreviated detail as if viewed through summer haze, with the leads in dark, quick strokes, creating a dynamic juxtaposition and sense of immediacy. Originally either part of a larger scene, or, more likely, taken from Fusuma doors. They bear the artists seal on one edge. The screens are 188 x 97 cm (74 x 38 inches) and are in fine condition considering their age. A lay Zen practitioner, the motif of ox herding was likely very close to the artists heart, for it is often used metaphorically to describe the stages of a practitioner's progress toward enlightenment (reference the 10 ox herding pictures).
There are many unconfirmed stories of the origins of this artist, what we know is Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754-1799) was born somewhere in the Kansai region near the capitol and moved to Kyoto in 1781, where he became a student of Maruyama Ōkyo. He would later leave Okyo, developing a style unique to himself, and would come to be known as one of the Eccentrics of the Edo period, along with Ito Jakuchu and Soga Shohaku. He worked directly for the Lord of Yodo, a castle town between Kyoto and Osaka. His unorthodox style garnered him many fans, and his paintings decorate the doors and ceilings of a number of Temples throughout the region. According to Hillier in The Uninhibited Brush (1974) “Rosetsu's paintings fall into two very clearly defined categories, with no halfway stage in between. On the one hand, there are those of studied finish, and on the other, those--the great majority--that were clearly the work of a very few minutes of intense activity, whatever the preliminary thought and calculation. We are inclined to think of the first type as early and even untypical, but in fact Rosetsu seems to have executed carefully finished paintings at all stages of his career”. Much copied, genuine works by him are decidedly rare.

A set of shishi guardian carvings from high up on the front of a Buddhist temple, each cut from a single block of wood with fore-paws extended in a leaping motion and vicious snarls. Each is roughly 30 x 30 x 24 cm (12 x 12 x 9-1/2 cm tall and in overall excellent condition. These date from the Edo period.
Shishi guardians, also known as Komainu or "lion dogs," have a long history in Japanese art and culture; iconic figures often depicted in pairs and placed at the entrances of shrines, temples, and other important structures to ward off evil spirits and protect against negative energies. The origins of the Shishi can be found in ancient Chinese culture, specifically the mythical creature known as the "shi" or "foo dog" in English. These creatures were believed to have protective qualities and were commonly depicted in Chinese art and architecture. As Buddhism spread to Japan from China in the 6th century, so too did the imagery of the lion guardians. The artistic representation of Shishi lion guardians in Japan evolved into a unique style. The sculptures typically depict a pair of lion-like creatures with fierce expressions, large manes, and muscular bodies. One lion has an open mouth to represent the sound "ah," which is believed to expel negative energy, while the other has a closed mouth to represent the sound "um," which is believed to retain positive energy. This duality symbolizes the balance between yin and yang, and the harmony between opposing forces.

Gold glimmers on the rim against pale concrete tones on this rare mid-Edo period tea bowl from the Utsutsugawa kiln in Nagasaki prefecture, late 17th to early 18th century. Waves of brush strokes decorate the outside, while the white slip cascades from the rim in withering streaks within. A kutsuki on the side testifies to some event which happened during the firing, where another piece of pottery collapsed against the side, fusing and causing the bowl to deform. This force created a crack where the bowl bent, which has now been enhanced with gold. It comes enclosed in a custom made modern wooden collectors box titled Utsutsugawa Kama Kutsu-Gata Chawan. The bowl is 8.5 x 14 x 7 cm (3-1/2 x 6 x 3 inches. Originally a kiln flaw, possibly once discarded, it was rescued and repaired with a sumptuous design of gold powder on lacquer.
Utsutsugawa-yaki (also Utsutsukawa) originated in Nagasaki in the late 17th century. It is said it began when Tanaka Gyobusaemon (Soetsu) opened a kiln around 1690. It is characterized by brown orange clay with a heavy iron content and was most often decorated with Brush strokes in white slip. Although at one time it was called the Ninsei of the West, the manufacture lasted only about 50 years due to the financial aspect of the clan, and it disappeared until the later Meiji period, when there was an attempted revival, but that too failed to last due to pressures of modernization. In modern times the art was revived by Yokoishi Gagyu, and has been named an important cultural property of Nagasaki Prefecture.

An Edo period image of plums blossoming on thick branches by Kitayama Kangan. Ink on paper in a patterned cloth mounting with beige piping in the Mincho style so popular int eh 19th century and featuring bone rollers. It is 21-1/2 x 78-1/2 inches (55 x 199 cm). Some minor loss to the piping at the top of the scroll, otherwise in surprisingly good condition.
Kitayama Kangan (Ba Moki, 1767-1801) was the grandson of a Chinese émigré. He studied painting under his father Ba Doryo (Also used the Japanese name Sugawara Doryo) and furthered his own education with self study of Chinese Northern School painting thus was accomplished in many styles of painting, including Chinese and European styles. His eclectic style was quite striking in mid-Edo Japan, and he attracted as a student one of the greatest later Edo painters Tani Buncho. He and his father also heavily influenced Shiba Kokan in his map making (for more on that see “A study of the background to Shiba Kokan's celestial map: the roles of Ba Doryo and Ba Moki”. Unforutnately he died quite suddenly at the age of 35. The great literatus Tanomura Chikuden stated that had Kangan lived longer he would have vied with Buncho in greatness and fame.

Heavy pigment on thickly veined gold creates a powerful collection of scenes from the Taiheiki, the 11th century story of the fall of the courtiers and usurpation of power by two military families, the Taira and the Genji. The screen dates to the 18th century, or middle Edo period. Many old repairs attest to age. We have had it completely remounted, with no painting restoration performed. On the left the famous scene of shooting a fan from horseback from the battle of Yajima. Center two famous riders charge into the waves, on the right a group of warriors bristling with arms, possibly the tragic hero Yoshitsune and his group of roughnecks. The screen measures 104 x 40 inches (264 x 102.5 cm) and is ready to display.

A very rare find indeed, two early to mid Edo period matching Kashi-gusoku Yoroi from the same armory featuring Momonari Kabuto and Hotoke-Ni-Mai Do decorated with jagged bands of gold. A very impressive set. The sleeves are patterned blue and white hemp. The thumb on one sleeve is missing and the two hinge pins. There are broken strings and damage to the lacquer consistent with age and the fact this armor was handed out to soldiers, likely often for guard duties and escorts, and so did see a great deal of use. They are made to fit an adult and come in the pictured wood and bamboo case. The stands are not included. They are likely from the Kaga fief.

A very rare Nana-sun plate with swirling hake-me design from the kilns of Utsutsukawa dating from the early to mid Edo period wrapped in a ragged bit of sarasa dyed cotton cloth and enclosed in an age darkened wooden box titled Utsutsukawa-Yaki Kashibachi - Ikko (Sweets dish-1) It is 7-1/2 inches (19 cm) diameter. Thinly potted, there is a tiny chip in the rim, otherwise is in perfect condition; exceedingly rare for this type of pottery.
Utsutsukawa-yaki originated in Nagasaki in the late 17th century. It is said it began when Tanaka Gyobusaemon opened a kiln around 1690. It is characterized by brown orange clay with a heavy iron content and was most often decorated with Brush strokes in white slip. Although at one time it was called the Ninsei of the West, the manufacture lasted only about 50 years due to the financial aspect of the clan, and it disappeared until the Meiji period, when there was an attempted revival, but that too failed to last. In modern times the art was revived by Yokoishi Gagyu, and has been named an important cultural property of Nagasaki Prefecture.

A boxed set of fifteen unique bowls with lids for clear soup made for the Lord of the Yanagisawa family enclosed in a wooden box dated the 7th month of 1730. What makes this set quite unique is that each bowl is singular, a different design, color, shape or technique. But throughout is the one continuous symbol, the four petaled crest of the Yanagisawa clan.　The box is titled Yakatasama, Go Suimono wan, Yangisawa Shimono and on the side Jugonin-mae. Yakatasama, means a nobleman's house such as a public house or a samurai house. Under the Shogunate it was a title or honorific granted to the head of a prestigious or meritorious samurai family or feudal lord of a Great Clan. Suimono Wan are bowls for clear soup served between parts of the meal to clean the palette. Yanagisawa Shimono is the name of a member of the Yanagisawa clan. On the side is written Jugonin-mae or service for 15. The box is divided into three compartments holding five bowls and lids in each compartment. Each bowl is roughly 12.5 cm (5 inches) diameter and they are in overall excellent condition with some browning of the lacquer inside due to heat from use.
Kawagoe-jo Castle in Musashi Kuni in modern Saitama Prefecture was given to the Yanagisawa clan by the fifth shogun in the 7th year of Genroku (1694). In 1724, in gratitude to the family’s service and recognition of their skill at administration, they were granted control over four domains (Yamato, Omi, Kawachi and Ise) totaling 150,000 Koku of rice. Undoubtedly at that time there would have been a sudden need for furnishings bearing the symbol of the family throughout their four domains, and this set of bowls is one of those furnishings. To this day the crest adorns the Yanagisawa Bunko library a designated cultural property in Yamato Koriyama city housing tens of thousands of antique texts from the era, a testament to the power of this important clan.

Waves lap at the dark shore crowded with cranes on this elegant 18th century paper screen embellished with clouds of gold flake signed Hokkyo Shunboku (O-oka Shunboku, 1680-1763). A bramble of dried bamboo hides one sleeping form, the others strut about oblivious to the frigid winter air. Turgid blue water rolls slowly behind, waves licking at the near shore. A fine example of the mid-Edo aesthetic; the screen is 67-1/2 by 148 inches (172 x 376 cm) and is in excellent condition, recently fully re-mounted. It is bordered in green silk with a black lacquered wooden frame reflecting the original, backed with dark blue paper embellished with black crests. As might be expected there is loss to the white gofun coating on the birds, and some repairs performed during restoration. This screen was bought personally by us in Kagoshima from the house of a former high level retainer of the Satsuma Fief. It was likely purchased or commissioned during the procession from Edo to Satsuma performed every three years by the Daimyo of that powerful fief. O-oka Shunboku was born in the merchant city of Osaka. He was a largely self taught artist, initially mastering the rules of the Kano school, then moving into Chinese style painting of the Yuan period. A talented painter, he was equally well known for his mild personality and mastery of the cultured doctrines of Tea Ceremony, Incense Testing, Dance, Song and Poetry. He was popular from a young age, and patrons fought for their place in line at his studio door (according to Araki) He is very well known for his reproductions of Chinese painting manuals and the large number of art books he published. He eventually rose to the level of Hogen, very rare for an artist with no lineage behind him. He died at the age of 84, and is buried in Komyoji Temple. He was survived by an adopted son, and is accredited with being an early influence on Ito Jakuchu (according to Daiten Kenjo) with his emphasis on Yuan painting, as well as Katsushika Hokusai with his colorful publications. A set of painted doors in the Mie prefectural Museum of Art, formerly in the Nagashima household, featuring a cow at rest, were painted by Soga Shohaku in a style based on Shunbokus 1740 six volume compendium of Kano techniques, Gako Senran (An Exploration into the Techniques of Paintings). His paintings adorn the doors of Myoshinji, one of the most famous temples in Kyoto, as well as Myokoji in Osaka among others. He also helps fill the collections of the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Seattle Art Museum and British Museum in London.

Lidded crystal eyes gaze serenely down from the Rakans purchase high on the lofty temple walls. The face is expertly crafted, with a distinct Chinese air reflecting the fact the Rakan (Arahat) were all from the Continent. The robes of green, white and red are patterned with scrolling vines and dials. A dedication on back Appears to be Made for/by Konoike-mura Hachiuemon and is dated Ho-Ei 7 (1710). The new wooden base on which it stands states the piece was restored in 1993. One of likely 16 images which would have been set high in the interior of the temple, gazing down on the faithful as they pray and chant to the main deity. The figure is roughly 20 inches (50 cm) tall and in fine condition, with only minor losses to the colored robes to attest to its great age.
Rakan (Sanskrit Arhat also pronounced and written Arahat, Arhan, Rahat, etc.) is translated the worthy one"; one who has attained the highest level in the Theravada school; the fruition of arhatship is nirvana. He is thus a perfected Arya, one exempt from reincarnation; "deserving Divine honours." This was the name first given to the Jain, and subsequently to the Buddhist holy men initiated into the esoteric mysteries. The Arhat is one who has entered the last and highest path, and is thus emancipated from rebirth. The degrees of Arhatship, called respectively Srotapatti, Sakridagamin, Anagamin, and Arhat, or the four classes of Aryas, correspond to the four paths and truths.

A large 17th to 18th century Buddhist sculpture of a Rakan (arahat), well sculpted, his naked torso gilded in gold with robes and shoes in black lacquer, carrying a large urn which is an active incense burner. The sculpture is 2 feet (61 cm) tall and in overall fine condition. There are minor losses to the lacquer and gilding typical of age, and a repair to his left foot. Both little fingers are missing from his hands; these could be repaired if desired at additional cost.