Edo Furniture

Late Edo Period Rinpa School Chrysanthemum Blossom Screen Period: late Edo, early 19th century Size: 364 x 172 cm (143 x 67 inches) This exquisite late Edo period Rinpa school scr...

A Japanese four-case inro stringed together with a silk cord of a carved wood Ojime and a carved ivory netsuke circa 19th century of Edo period. This fine piece was made in collabora...

An extremely fine, elegant and rare late 17th Century Japanese lacquer cabinet, from the Eco period, on later lacquered black stand. Japanese circa 1690 Provenance A private Scottish collection This outstanding cabinet is a fascinating fusion of east and west. The cabinet itself would have been made in Japan, c.1690, and is decorated to the outside with hiramaki-e lacquer. This technique involves the use of sprinkled gold powder which adheres to the lacquer surface. On the best pieces, as with this example, many layers are added in order to create areas of high relief and give depth to the surface decoration. The taste of the Japanese workshops in this period was often for quite restrained pieces with plenty of the black background visible, unlike some of the busier Chinese lacquer or European japanned examples produced around the same time. The Japanese makers seemed content to rely on the outstanding quality of the lacquer itself, regarded by most experts as the finest lacquer ever produced, and did not see the need to cover every surface believing that less was more in this respect. The lacquer here is used to produce a mountainous scene with buildings on the bank of a river, the other side of the river with more buildings and a contrasting flatter and forested landscape. The fine perspective achieved is the result of the clever use of raised and flatter areas in the lacquer itself in combination with the drawing of the design itself. Another remarkable aspect of this piece is the fine metalware throughout, but particularly the lockplate / hasp, hinges and foot mounts to the front. This is all beautifully cast and engraved contrasting against the black background. Interestingly another cabinet on stand with near identical metalwork was advertised in the Burlington Magazine, November 1913, with the dealer W. Williamson and Sons of Guildford. The lacquer on that piece is similarly refined and it seems likely that both pieces came from the same workshop. The European influence in our piece can be seen in both the later ebonised stand and in the japanned decoration which has been applied to the inside of the doors and is also very fine indeed. This consists of two panels with birds of prey perched on branches in colours set against a golden background. The cabinet has a recent Scottish provenance and so it is likely that the ebonised stand was made in Britain though such pieces were made throughout Europe as a way of quite literally elevating these imported pieces of eastern lacquer as in Japan these would have been used on the floor. Inside the cabinet there is a combination of more Japanese lacquer and lock plates and European drawer handles. Most of the lacquer drawer fronts incorporate mountainous scenes and birds in combination, with a few purely one or the other of the two subjects. Again the lacquer is in excellent condition and is of exceptional quality with multiple layers of relief used in one single scene in many cases. As mentioned above, Japanese lacquer is the most technically brilliant of the eastern lacquers and, as such, was highly prized by collectors and connoisseurs throughout Europe when this piece was made. The acquisition of such pieces would only have been possible for a small group of incredibly wealthy individuals, largely royal or high ranking courtiers or merchants connected with the East India trade...

A beautiful standing Edo Period antique wood carved Japanese Kannon Bodhisattva Buddha Amida sculpture/statue. This Buddha is one of four we acquired that were rescued from an aband...

A very stylish antique Edo period Japanese blue and white painted porcelain rice dish and cover decorated with watery landscapes dating from around 1850. The bowl is of wide round fo...

Beautifully weathered late 17th/early 18th century Japanese edo period four panel byobu screen depicting hotei (fat monk) in a treed landscape with Chinese sages engaged in leisurely...

Large 19th century Japanese Edo period six panel folding byobu screen made in the Kano school style. Beautifully crafted with signature after Kano Tan'yu. Ink and natural color pigme...

A Japanese ink stone box (known as Suzuribako) with exquisite maki-e decoration from Edo period (circa mid-18th century). The box features a rectang...

Edo period (c. 1800) screen, beautifully painted with excellent details. Kano School painting at its best. An exuberant Audobon landscape being observed by a cat and her kitten. A...

It is a work drawn by Yusen Okajima known as a Japanese painter of the Shijo school as you can see. It is a waterfall map that makes you feel momentum from the top to the bottom, a...

A rare and finely cast Japanese Buddhist ritual ghanta handbell, featuring a five-pronged vajra handle, dating to the early to mid Edo period. Used in esoteric Buddhist ceremonies, ...

This wooden Buddhist statue (made from cypress wood) is thought to have been made in the Edo period, probably around the 18th or 19th century. It is one of the types of statues known...

Hawks on plum and pine Soga Nichokuan (active circa 1625-1660) Pair of six-fold screens. Ink, mineral pigments, gofun, gold and speckled gold l...

A six-fold paper screen painted in ink and colour on a gold ground with grape vines hanging from a pergola and woven fence amongst golden clouds, the details in gin-sunago (cut silver leaf) and moriage (raised design). The metal mounts are decorated with cloisonné enamel, a special detail rarely seen on screen mounts. Japan, 17th/18th century, Edo period. Grapes represent the autumn season and have been regarded as an auspicious symbol of fertility and prosperity since ancient times. Also the Japanese word of grape ‘budō’ is the same word for martial arts. Often paired with squirrels (‘risu’ in Japanese meaning, to follow discipline), the subject was a favourite of the samurai class. Designs incorporating grape vines have been used for ceramic and lacquer works as well as paintings from early times and screens depicting this subject matter seem to have been particularly popular in the early Edo period, however only a few examples are known today. These known examples depicting grape vines are rendered in a similar manner using gold leaf and moriage (raised design): A pair of screens from the Kano School housed in the Tokyo Fuji Art Museum (17th century, Momoyama period) A pair in the Gardner collection (17th century, accession no. P14e3) There are another comparable pair of 17th-century screens housed in the Okura Museum of Art, Tokyo and there are a pair of sugido (cedar wood doors) with the same subject housed in the Nagoya Castle, Aichi prefecture. Paravent à six volets peint à l'encre et à la couleur sur fond doré, représentant des vignes suspendues à une pergola et une clôture tressée parmi des nuages dorés, avec des détails en gin-sunago (feuille d'argent découpée) et moriage (motifs en relief). Les montures métalliques sont décorées d'émail cloisonné...

Fantastic 19th century Japanese Edo/Tokugawa period two-panel byobu screen featuring Chinese children frolicking on a garden terrace with a pavilion and large pine tree. Made in the ...

A beautiful Tamba (Tanba) ware (or Sigaraki ware) Japanese pottery vase/jar/pot - produced sometime during the Edo Period (1603-1867). Tamba-yaki ware is a type of Japanese pottery a...

Anonymous Late 17th Century Battle of Ichi-no-tani & Yashima Dimensions: Each Screen: H. 175 cm x W. 385 cm (69” x 151.5”) This pair of Japanese screens depict two significant battles from the Genpei War (1180–85), as recounted in the Tale of the Heike, a semi-historical epic chronicling the conflict between rival clans for control of Japan, written in the early 1200s. Each screen portrays a single battle through a series of small episodes, framed by gold clouds, landscape elements, and architectural features. True to the style of many screens inspired by The Tale of the Heike, the scenes are rendered in lavish colors and gold, downplaying the brutality of the warfare. Although based on real events, these narratives often glorified and romanticized the heroic feats of the warriors. Viewers at the time would have been familiar with the story’s details, leading to a proliferation of paintings on folding screens inspired by this theme from the late Muromachi to the early Edo periods. On the right screen, we see the Minamoto’s attack on the Taira, who have retreated from the capital, Kyoto, toward the sea. The central building represents the temporary Taira headquarters, where Taira soldiers are holding the young Emperor Antoku. The Minamoto plan to launch a surprise attack from the rear after descending the steep cliff known as Ichi-no-tani, depicted at the top center. This scene highlights the tactical brilliance of Minamoto commander Yoshitsune and the courage of his men. The left screen captures moments from the Battle of Yashima...

Birds & Flowers of the Seasons Pheasants & Plum in Snow Unframed painting. Ink, pigment and gofun on silk Kano Chikanobu 1819-1888 Signature...

Very fine asymmetric handled Burl Dish stamped "Nippon" on the base. Artistic presentation has a wavy attached handle, very smooth to hold feel and having a desirable rich deep honey...

Superb embroidered silk Fukusa, wedding gift wrapping silk cloth decorated with auspicious motive. Condition : Fine original condition with only minor abrasions and very ...

Remarkable pair of early 19th century Japanese late Edo period screens depicting summer chrysanthemums growing along a brushwood fence. Ink and...

Description Nice & Beautiful Arita Japanese Porcelain Garniture consisting of 3 vases, 1 with a lid. The painting quality and shape are of really high quality. There is a similar gar...

The 19th Century Six-Panel Japanese folding screen "Byōbu" usually used in the most important Japanese house to stop wind and also to separate different space of the same big room de...

This exquisite Tetsusabiji Uchidashi Gomai Dou Gusoku (Five-Plate Russet Iron Embossed Cuirass Armor), crafted in the 18th century, exemplifies the pinnacle of Edo-period samurai arm...

This is an excellent example of a Japanese porcelain Charger or very large plate with a finely hand painted design, dating to the Edo period circa 1840 or possibly earlier. This cha...

A highly important Japanese export lacquer cabinet with depiction of the Dutch East India Company tradepost Deshima and the annual Dutch delegation on its way to the Shogun in Edo Edo period, circa 1660-1680 H. 88 x W. 100.5 x D. 54 cm This cabinet includes a later European japanned stand, but also a modern powder-coated steel frame. The latter can be designed and added to your specific needs. The sides and front of the rectangular two-door cabinet are embellished in gold and silver hiramaki-e and takamaki-e on a black roiro lacquer ground with a continuous design. The two doors depict a long procession of numerous figures travelling on foot and horseback along buildings and a pagoda into a mountainous landscape. This is the annual court journey, Hofreis, of the Dutch from Nagasaki to the Shogun’s court in Edo. Three horseback riders are dressed as Dutch merchants and a fourth figure, probably het Opperhoofd, is seen inside a palanquin, norimon. Just about to cross the bridge, two men are carrying a cabinet like the present one. Many Japanese figures on either side of the procession are engaged in various activities; some play musical instruments on board of small boats, others are fishing; figures inside buildings are depicted playing go, and farmers are tending to their rice paddocks. The upper part of the right door shows a large mansion, probably the local daimyo’s castle, with men kneeling before a man in the central courtyard. The court journey fits in with the foreign policy of the shogunate which accorded a role to the VOC alongside China, Korea, and the Ryukyu Islands who also had to pay tribute. However, the VOC employees were traders, having low status in Japan’s social hierarchy, and they were received with less deference than were the state embassies from Korea and the Ryukyu Islands. Nevertheless, the contacts with the Dutch were a welcome source of information to the Shogun about Europe and European science and technology. The left side of the cabinet depicts, in mirror image, a rare view of the artificial fan-shaped Deshima Island, the trading post for the Dutch in Japan. The island, where the Dutch flag flies, is surrounded by small Japanese boats and an anchored three-masted fluyt (cargo ship), flying Dutch flags, with on the stern the VOC monogram. On the bottom right a busy street of Nagasaki is shown, bordered by shops and leading up to the stone bridge. On the island the trees are beautifully painted, two cows can be seen, and the flagpole, all in very fine detail. Dutchmen and enslaved Malay are visible outside the buildings and two Japanese figures, probably guards, sit in a small hut in the centre. A maximum of fifteen to twenty Dutchmen lived on the island at any time and soldiers or women were not allowed. Restrictions on Deshima were tight, and the merchants were only allowed to leave the island by special permission. The Opperhoofd had to be replaced every year, and each new Opperhoofd had to make a court journey to pay tribute, present gifts, and to obtain permission to Margaret Barclay eep on trading. In the distance, many birds fly above the hills and a four-story pagoda can be seen. The right side of the cabinet is painted with other horse riders and their retinue journeying through mountains. The pair of doors to the front open to reveal ten rectangular drawers. The drawers are decorated with scenes of birds in flight and landscapes with trees and plants. The reverse of the left door with two thatched buildings, one with a ladder, underneath a camelia tree with large blooms; the right door with a three-story pagoda nestled among trees and both doors with a flying phoenix, ho-oo bird. The cabinet, with elaborately engraved gilt copper mounts, hinges, lock plates and brass handles, is raised on an 18th-century English japanned wood stand. A pair of large cabinets...

Iwase Hirotaka (1808-1877) Koi and Water Plants Hanging scroll, ink, color, gold wash and gold flecks on silk Inscription: Hirotaka Seal: Ille...

This antique small chest of drawers was crafted in the Edo Era (Tenpō 1830-1844). The aged urushi (Japanese lacquer), worn away in places, enhances the piece’s unique character and ...

This stone Buddha sculpture, believed to date back to the early Edo period or earlier, depicts Jizo Bosatsu in a seated pose. Crafted from granite, it showcases the natural effects ...

A six-panel Japanese folding screen from the leading Maruyama-Shijo artist Okamoto Toyohiko (1773-1845). Simply featuring three deer and a few sprigs of foliage on a sumptuous gold-leaf background this work emphasizes naturalistic expression and a masterful use of negative space. Reduced to its most basic elements, the blank spaces inspire imagination and evoke the smells, sounds and even the weather of the scene. Whilst deer are traditionally depicted in association with autumn, here the green growth on the tops of the foliage indicates the season of spring. The work references Maruyama Okyo’s two-panel deer screen...

A wonderful, beautifully aged sukashi (openwork) Tsuba - Japanese sword hand guard often circular, sometimes square, which emerged as an essential part of Japanese sword craftsmanshi...

A very good hand carved stone Buddha/Jizo Guardian sculpture set upon its own carved base Good display candidate for your favorite indoor or outdoor space In Japan, Kṣitigarbha, kn...

A rare and evocative pair of antique Japanese samurai abumi (horse-riding stirrups) dating to the Edo period (1603–1868). Expertly forged in iron, with a silver inlay decorative desi...

It is used in Japan. It seems to be in the Edo period (1700s-1800s). But details are unknown. The unique distorted shape is beautiful. The color and balance of the glaze are al...

Kano Osanobu (狩野養信) Osanobu Kano (born August 18, 1796; died June 12, 1846) was the ninth painter of the Kobikicho Kano School in the Edo period. His common name was Shozaburo. His father was Naganobu KANO, and Tadanobu KANO was his son. His Go (pen name) was Osanobu Seisenin, Kaishinsai, and Gyokusen. Brief Personal History He was born the eldest son of Naganobu ISENIN during the Edo period. He was first sent to serve at Edo Castle at the age of 15, and it appears that he was apparently pushed by his father to perform various public tasks for the Kanon School. He kept a diary for 36 years, starting from the day before he first went into service at Edo Castle until the day before he died. The diary is entitles "Official Service Diary" (it consists of 52 volumes that are maintained at the Tokyo National Museum, and 4 volumes that are separately maintained at the different families), and have become the focus of a lot of attention in recent years for the detailed information they present on the daily life and work of a prestigious official painter. The reading of the characters of his name was originally "Takenobu"; however, with the birth of the first son of the Shongun Ieyoshi TOKUGAWA in 1813, whose name was Takechiyo, having a sylable with the same pronunciation of "Take"was deemed to be inappropriate, and was therefore changed to "Osanobu". Because Takenobu died the following year, after which he was referred to as Gyokujuin, Osanobu changed his pen name Gyokusen he had used until that point to Seisenin, in order to avoid using the same Chinese charcter pronounced alike. In 1819, he attained the second highest rank for a Buddhist priest, Hogen, and assumed the role of head of the family after his father passed away in 1828. In 1834 he attained the highest rank for a Buddhist priest, Hoin. He oversaw the rennovation of the wall paintings of Nishinomaru Palace of Edo Castle from 1838 to 1839, and Honmaru Palace of it from 1844 to 1846. It is thought that Osanobu later died due to the fatigue...

Description A very nicely decorated bowl Condition report: 1 hairline from the rim. Size: 25x6.8CM Diameter x Height Period 18th century

A six-panel Japanese paper screen with poems, autumn flowers, bamboo fence and Mandarin ducks. Poems are believed to be earlier but were probably...

A Japanese lacquered wood fubako (a box used to store document or small scroll painting), circa second half of 19th century late Edo period. The rectangular box features an unusually deep lipped lid with slightly rounded corners, a conforming lower box that is almost entirely covered by the lid which has two bronze medallion rings with tasseled...

Description Very happy with this new arrival. Arita/Kakiemon plate unusual and very nice design! Fuku mark at the base. Condition Perfect condition. Size: 15x2.5CM DiameterxHeight...

From our recent Japan acquisitions An important black lacquer treasure dated 1852 with its original box tomobako Superb antique Ohibachi (over sized hibachi) from late Edo era use...

Japanese Buddhist teaching painting, set of four paintings with 24 Buddhist stories with Japanese written characters in each story on one screen. Provenance: Purchased from Christie's South Kensington...

A finely cast ritual bell (ghanta) from the late Edo period (c. mid-19th century), made of brass with a five-pronged vajra (go-kosho) handle. This sacred implement would have been us...

This is a very beautiful example of a Japanese, Arita- Imari porcelain large Dish or Platter with finely hand painted decoration, dating to the Edo period circa 1810. This dish is v...

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...

Antique Japanese miniature model of a suit of armor made for the Boy’s day display. Constructed of a lacquered paper cuirass, upper arm guar...

A wonderful, beautifully aged Tsuba - Japanese sword hand guard often circular, sometimes square, which emerged as an essential part of Japanese sword craftsmanship during the Heian ...

A two-fold Japanese paper screen, painted in ink and colour on a buff and gold ground, with a mountainous river landscape. The scene depicts two nightingales in flight amongst hazy ...

A set of five Japanese ceramic dishes in an inscribed tomobako box. These dishes were made in the types of Ko-Oribe (Old-Oribe) and dated in the early to middle 19th century (end of Edo period) serving as Mukozuke dished for multiple-course kaiseki cuisine. Ko-Oribe ware were made during Momoyama period (15-16th century) as a subtype of Mino ware and favored by tea master for their irregular and organic spirit. In slightly irregular oval shape and average 7.5" by 6.5", one edge of these dishes is covered in a pleasant irregular sliver of deep green glaze (therefore these are also known as Ao-Oribe, Green-Oribe). The main surface is covered in a white glaze with fine crackles and decorated in the center with a motif of fern branch in a grey-black glaze. The glaze has a sheen indicating a high concentration of magnesium. The five dishes vary subtly in shape, color and hand-applied glazing and paint pattern, The foot supports were cut short and remain unglazed revealing a whitish buff-ware like clay underneath. The set of Mukozuke dishes retains its original tomobako. On the lid, ink kanji inscription reads: Ko (old)-Seto, Mukozuke for Five, Shotoken (presumably the name of a high-end dining or tea house establishment where the dishes were collected and belonged). For a comparable Mukuzuke Oribe dish...

A finely cast bronze mirror from the Edo period, featuring an exceptionally rare motif: a powerful tiger set against elegant plum blossoms. The contrasting imagery embodies strength ...

A beautiful standing Edo Period wood carved antique Japanese Kannon Bodhisattva Buddha Amida sculpture/statue. This Buddha is one of four we acquired that were rescued from an abando...

Omori Soun (b. 1704) Chrysanthemums - One Hundred Flowers A Pair of Six-fold Japanese Screens. Ink, color, gofun and gold leaf on paper. Dating ...

A scarce antique Japanese Noh theatre hand carved and painted wooden mask of Ko-Omote. Sculpted in Japan in the 19th century, Ko-omote (literally ...

An absolutely stunning Bizen ware stoneware vase/jar/vessel - produced sometime during the late Momoyama period (1568-1600) / Early Edo Period (1603-1867). Bizen yaki...

Description A lovely piece Condition Lid with 2 chips to inside rim. Size: 25x13.5CM heightxdiameter Period 19th century Meiji Periode (1867-1912)

A Japanese ceramic Chawan (tea bowl) of e-Shino (painted Shino) ware style circa mid-late 18th century Edo period. The classically shaped bowl features an abstract blue paint of blue grass and displays strong characters in the milky white glaze, with overall crawling and crackling effect. One of the most distinctive characteristics of Shino that is exemplified on this bowl is the small pinholes called suana, which tea masters favor (termed as yuzuhada, or citron skin). The milky-white feldspar...

An unusual Japanese carved wood, lacquer, and gilt decorated portrait sculpture of a shogun, Edo Period, early 19th century, Japan. The unidentified shogun (possibly Tokugawa Iey...

Japanese six-panel screen: Late winter into early spring, Rimpa style painting of a garden scene with doves on a bamboo fence. Flowers in bloom including ...

Kokuho Shimei (1789–1859) Tigers Pair of framed paintings; ink on paper Kokuho Shimei was active during the late Edo period as a Nagasaki School artist, working at a cultural cross...

Unique Bronze Bell One of a kind find bronze bonsho temple bell- with an unusual scalloped crest, side panel markings, rare bottom band pattern castings, and early patron signatures - a rare Buddhist temple...

This is a rough sketch of a Japanese painting drawn around the late Edo period to the early Meiji period (1800-1900) in Japan. A picture is drawn by sticking and connecting short pi...