Dennis Gargiulo Gallery Asian Art and Furniture

A gorgeous and quite radiant print by Japanese artist/printmaker Isamu Sakamoto titled "Morning Light." The work features the dawn ("Reimei") light reflecting off a traditional build...

A beautiful, large woodblock print by American master printmaker Clifton Karhu who lived in Japan for over 50 years. Karhu's work gained great e...

A small and charming Chinese cizhou ware glazed pottery figure of a Taoist deity or official, Song to Ming Dynasty, 13th - 15th century, China, ex. Christi...

A beautifully designed and composed woodblock print by famed Japanese printmaker Kiyoshi Saito. Many consider Saito to be one of the most important, if not the most important, contem...

Pair of Chinese bronze figures of deities standing on dragons. The two sculptures were made in the 20th century. They represent the Tao gods Lu Xing and Fu Xin...

A wonderful image titled "Sarusawa Pond (Sarusawa ike)" by one of Japan's finest 20th-century artists and one of, if not the greatest working artist in the Shin-Hanga movement. Yoshi...

A sublime Chinese carved boxwood figure of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, called Guanyin in Chinese, mid-Qing dynasty. The an...

Art Nouveau iIlustration Print featuring the well-known Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens "Fairies are Exquisite Dancers" by J.M. Barrie in 1912 for the Arthur Rackham book Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens first published in 1906. Arthur Rackham RWS (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. He is recognized as one of the leading figures during the Golden Age of British book illustration. His work is noted for its robust pen and ink drawings, which were combined with the use of watercolor, a technique he developed due to his background as a journalistic illustrator. Rackham's 51 color pieces for the early American tale Rip Van Winkle became a turning point in the production of books since – through color-separated printing – it featured the accurate reproduction of color artwork...

Original Woodblock print Japan (1925) by Tsukioka Kogyo (signed). From the series ‘Noga Taikan’. Based on characters of Noh Plays.

This finely crafted piece combines traditional Chinese textile artistry with intricate woodcarving. The central element is a circular silk embroidery, depicting a serene scene with f...

Description: A fine depiction of Guanyin, possessing the regal tranquillity that the Chinese Bodhisattva of compassion has come to be visually associated with. Marked by an urna signifying her spiritual enlightenment and crowned with a diadem depicting the Buddha Amitabha, the figure is immediately recognisable as Guanyin. Her androgynous figure is gracefully poised in the Lalit asana or “royal ease”, the pose classical in representations of the deity. The figure is asymmetric, with the weight of her supple form falling upon her left hand placed against the base, her right knee raised and left pendant. Her right hand rests upon her raised knee, delicately pinching at her draped attire. At first unassuming, this gesture may be suggestive of the Apana Mudra, the seal of purification. This Mudra is associated with physical wellbeing, fecundity and the cleansing of the body. Though she is adorned in the princely garb of dhoti, she bears features of idealised feminine beauty as prescribed in Asian art. With plump cheeks and near pouted lips, her full face gazes down upon the viewer with an empathetic and half-lidded gaze, upholding her title as ‘One who hears the cries of the world.’ Notes on the item: Guanyin is the Chinese interpretation of Avalokiteshvara, the Indian Bodhisattva of compassion. The term “Bodhisattva” is derived from the Sanskrit “Bodhi”, meaning ‘awakening’ or ‘enlightenment’, combined with “Sattva”, meaning ‘spirit’ or ‘being’, referring to one on the path to achieving enlightenment. Bodhisattvas in Mayahana Buddhism are recognised as figures who have effectively achieved enlightenment yet relinquish their accension to nirvana in order to remain amongst mankind in the ultimate act of compassion to aid as spiritual guides. As such, the Bodhisattva inhabit a liminal space between samsara and nirvana; enlightened beings that maintain a relationship with humanity that buddhas cannot, as attaining Buddhahood necessitates the abandonment of all worldly attachments, including mankind. Guanyin’s very name, ‘One who hears the cries of the world’ highlights this role as a compassionate figure who acknowledges the suffering and strife of man. Along with Mahāsthāmaprāpta, a fellow bodhisattva, Guanyin serves as an attendant to Buddha Amitabha, with these three deities recognised as the Three Sages of Western Pure Land Buddhism, a sect of Mayahana Buddhism popular in East Asia. Avalokiteshvara is commonly posited to have been adopted from Indian Buddhism into China as Guanyin around 200-400 CE, however it was the Tang dynasty (618-907) which saw the popularisation of the deity. By the Ming (1358–1644) and Qing (1644–1911) dynasties, Guanyin held the position as the most popular female deity in China. The unique state of religion in China held no monolithic canon regarding Buddhism and saw the assimilation of several belief systems, primarily Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Consequently, Guanyin became a deity to be revered beyond Buddhism alone, appointed as both an official imperial deity and Daoist deity in the 12th century. Guanyin may also be seen to fulfil the role of idealised femininity as prescribed by Confucianism, with the scarcity of female Chinese deities perhaps accounting for the gradual gender shift Guanyin underwent. The Indian Avalokiteshvara is unequivocally recognised as male, whilst the supposed gender of Guanyin remains contentious. Although there is a clear shift from the masculine Avalokiteshvara towards a more feminine representation, it is unclear if Guanyin is understood to be entirely feminine, to inhabit qualities of both genders or to be elevated beyond gender entirely, embodying neither. Depictions of Guanyin are highly androgynous, which some believe lends credence towards Guanyin symbolising the unity of dualistic forces as recognised in Daoism, displaying the anthropomorphism of yin and yang. Comparative Analysis: Market comparisons of similar Qing Dynasty polychrome figures of Guanyin include lot 767 (no.2) From Christies ‘Important Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art,’ New York, 25 March 2022, with the price realised USD 52,920 (Estimate USD 20,000 – USD 30,000). Christies also auctioned a comparable polychrome Guanyin...

Vintage Paul Klee "Sunset" Framed Modern Abstract Lithograph Art Print. Circa Late 20th Century. Measurements: Frame: 35.5" H x 48" W x 1.5" D. Print: 35.5" W x 23 "H.