21st Century and Contemporary Antiquities

Queen of Sheba: Treasures from Ancient Yemen Edited by St. John Simpson. Published by British Museum Press, 2002. Exhibitions at the British Museum are al...

Name: Under the Hazy Moon Contemporary style Japanese Washi Japanese traditional paper shade floor lamp. Washi shade is famous as Isamu Noguchi Akari lightings. Base is made of brass...

Name: OBAKE UN Contemporary style Japanese Washi Japanese traditional paper shade floor lamp. Washi shade is famous as Isamu Noguchi Akari lightings. Base is made of brass. Limited pattern painted model. Edition of 3+1AP E26,27 light bulb. Available to work with 100-250V. Artist statement In Japan, there is an animist belief that the soul dwells in old tools that have passed a long time and turns into spirits such as "Youkai" or "OBAKE." Its existence lurks in the darkness of everyday life, sometimes causing fear and sometimes entertaining. This lantern is not an old tool, but it is made by the historic "Kojima Shoten", where the 10th generation are craftsmen in Kyoto. It's rare nowadays, and it's a style in which lanterns are made from bamboo bones to assembling papers and painting in one workshop and go. So, I decided to transform the polite crafted Japanese lanterns, which have been run through a traditional history, into a modern and pop style. It's not just OBAKE lurking in the darkness, but an existence who snuggles up to us as a more sophisticated being. These one-eyed OBAKE have a meaningful look that originated in ancient Sanskrit culture. The red-eye "A [a]" is the facial expression that is the first pronunciation to make a sound in Sanskrit, which means "truth" and "spirit of inquiry" at the same time. The blue-eyed "UN [hu?]" expresses the pronunciation to close the sound, and at the same time means "wisdom" and "nirvana." There is also the idea that describing the beginning and end of the universe is represented by considering the "A" and "UN" as a pair. In Asia, it is a common sight to see a pair of guardian statues...

Name: OBAKE A Contemporary style Japanese Washi Japanese traditional paper shade floor lamp. Washi shade is famous as Isamu Noguchi Akari lightings. Base is made of brass. Limited pattern painted model. Edition of 3+1AP E26,27 light bulb. Available to work with 100-250V. Artist statement In Japan, there is an animist belief that the soul dwells in old tools that have passed a long time and turns into spirits such as "Youkai" or "OBAKE." Its existence lurks in the darkness of everyday life, sometimes causing fear and sometimes entertaining. This lantern is not an old tool, but it is made by the historic "Kojima Shoten", where the 10th generation are craftsmen in Kyoto. It's rare nowadays, and it's a style in which lanterns are made from bamboo bones to assembling papers and painting in one workshop and go. So, I decided to transform the polite crafted Japanese lanterns, which have been run through a traditional history, into a modern and pop style. It's not just OBAKE lurking in the darkness, but an existence who snuggles up to us as a more sophisticated being. These one-eyed OBAKE have a meaningful look that originated in ancient Sanskrit culture. The red-eye "A [a]" is the facial expression that is the first pronunciation to make a sound in Sanskrit, which means "truth" and "spirit of inquiry" at the same time. The blue-eyed "UN [hu?]" expresses the pronunciation to close the sound, and at the same time means "wisdom" and "nirvana." There is also the idea that describing the beginning and end of the universe is represented by considering the "A" and "UN" as a pair. In Asia, it is a common sight to see a pair of guardian statues...

Candleholder designed by Ryosuke Harashima. This work is made of antique Kiriko glass plate and brass. Artist create new style candleholder by combining old kiriko glass and Indust...

Treasures of the Jin State. Gems From Excavations of Cemetery of Marquis of Jin in Shanxi Province by Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau. Publisher Shanxi Provincial Cultural R...

Tray made by Ryosuke Harashima. This work is made of antique tray painted by urushi and fabric. Artist create renewed tray which is upholstered with fabric. This pattern was reache...

Shaanxi History Museum Shaanxi History Museum, by Feng Gengwu. Published by Shaanxi Tourism Publishing House, 2005. 1st Ed hardcover with dust jacket. Shaanxi History Museum, which i...

Lamp designed by Ryosuke Harashima. This work is made of antique Japanese bamboo basket and brass. Artist creates new style lamp by comb...

Cabinet by Ryosuke Harashima. Name: Casa Do Walk Collection: STILLIFE A chest for ship with a key door. With four legs that imitate a stilt building structure, it looks like a house that going to walk. STILLIFE STILLIFE is not to redesign old Japanese folk tools but also to have a dialogue with the tools. Morphing "old folk tools" into a "more attractive still life" by giving it a modern interpretation. "Tsukumo God" which we Japanese...

Candleholder designed by Ryosuke Harashima. This work is made of Japanese antique glass plate and brass. Artist create new style candleholder by ...

Console light table designed by Ryosuke Harashima. Name: How deep the dark. Collection: Stillife A low table by morphing a wooden box lid that stores two Japanese gold folding screens...

Name: Early Dawn Collection: STILLIFE A console table that using a wooden box that stores two Japanese gold folding screens. It is a new histor...