Pertains to images of scared shrines, temples and carvings featured at the shrine of Toshogu in Nikko, Japan. The album captures images of ancient sacred meeting places, granting the viewer a chance to delve into traditional Japanese culture. Today, the Toshogu shrine continues to be immensely popular, drawing together tourist from all around the world.
A long straight knife with fluted wooden handle and scabbard ornately trimmed with brass. (a) dagger, short, narrow, pointed, double edged steel blade with small, dark, fluted wooden handle. Blade guard, cast of brass with raised curlicue design, turns upward at sides, handle tip of cast brass wit…
A long straight knife with fluted wooden handle and scabbard ornately trimmed with brass. (a) dagger, short, narrow, pointed, double edged steel blade with small, dark, fluted wooden handle. Blade guard, cast of brass with raised curlicue design, turns upward at sides, handle tip of cast brass with similar design and small lug with hole through at one side Note: blade guard loose; wooden handle cracked along length; blade pitted. (b) scabbard, narrow and straight, made of two pieces of wood held together by two rings of heavy cast brass with raised floral motifs, becoming oval medallions on one side with cast relief of dragon like figures. Cast brass bands at mouth and tip repeat dragon floral motif of other two bands and have floral motif cut through exposing pebbly stone inlay in wood. Brass ring near top with small brass loop on one side.
A very thin knife with ebony handle like rifle butt and wooden scabbard wrapped with bands of black cord. (a) dirk, short, narrow, pointed steel blade with reverse curve to sharp shoulder on under side of hilt. Small carved ebony handle shaped like a rifle butt, with carved band of scallops and d…
A very thin knife with ebony handle like rifle butt and wooden scabbard wrapped with bands of black cord. (a) dirk, short, narrow, pointed steel blade with reverse curve to sharp shoulder on under side of hilt. Small carved ebony handle shaped like a rifle butt, with carved band of scallops and diamond shapes around middle. Two decorative notches carved across butt of handle. Note: handle checked along length. (b) scabbard, small, simple and straight, carved of two pieces of wood with triangular opening at mouth. Top carved to curve downward on one side to accommodate shoulder of blade. Girded with four double bands of finely braided cord, evenly spaced along length, and a fifth triple band at top beneath shoulder. Note: top fibre hands loose and slide up and down.
Knife with carved pistol grip handle and flame like carved piece at mouth of wooden scabbard. (a) knife, thin, curved, pointed steel blade with handle carved of greenish tortoiseshell ? shaped like a simple pistol grip. Deep single groove incised at each side at top near hilt. Blade joined to hand…
Knife with carved pistol grip handle and flame like carved piece at mouth of wooden scabbard. (a) knife, thin, curved, pointed steel blade with handle carved of greenish tortoiseshell ? shaped like a simple pistol grip. Deep single groove incised at each side at top near hilt. Blade joined to handle with roughly formed collar of grey metal. Note: hairline cracks in handle along grain, blade pitted and rusted. (b) scabbard, simple, slightly curved, wood with hoof like ebony tip. Band of tortoiseshell ? at opening carved in shape of flame or flowing leaf sticking out to one side. Round hole drilled through top, five thin lines incised across wood spaced evenly along length of scabbard. Small patches of glossy black material in a few places, and a black colour in the grain of the wood indicate that the wood may have been once enamelled black
A gold filled pin of three flower blossoms and leaves joined side by side in a line. Pin arches upward slightly, each flower consists of a stem with three sets of compound leaves branching from it, and a cluster of tiny closed buds above. Pin spike hinge and curled hook clasp soldered to back, but …
A gold filled pin of three flower blossoms and leaves joined side by side in a line. Pin arches upward slightly, each flower consists of a stem with three sets of compound leaves branching from it, and a cluster of tiny closed buds above. Pin spike hinge and curled hook clasp soldered to back, but pin spike missing.
A gold, snake-like, dragon tied in a knot. Cast bronze dragon in high relief with minute detail, scales, teeth, facial features , coiled round into knot with one foot extended forward, and tail behind. Spikes along back. Long pin spike soldered to flat plate at tail end, hinges to fasten beneath lo…
A gold, snake-like, dragon tied in a knot. Cast bronze dragon in high relief with minute detail, scales, teeth, facial features , coiled round into knot with one foot extended forward, and tail behind. Spikes along back. Long pin spike soldered to flat plate at tail end, hinges to fasten beneath locking barrel clasp at other end.
A small gourd-shaped flower holder of wickerwork with open mouth at top finished with braided rim; small butterfly or moth of coiled wicker with leaf fibre wings and small metal eyes, is attached to side of form by coiled metal spring; small loop handle near mouth; hollow bamboo tube inside.
A small gourd-shaped flower holder of wickerwork with open mouth at top finished with braided rim; small butterfly or moth of coiled wicker with leaf fibre wings and small metal eyes, is attached to side of form by coiled metal spring; small loop handle near mouth; hollow bamboo tube inside.
A small sac-shaped flower holder of brown wickerwork with open mouth at top finished with braided rim. Three-leaved vine attached to side of mouth is of leaf fibre backed with newspaper on shaped frame with coiled vine stem. Small loop on opposite side of mouth. Bamboo tube for holding water is mis…
A small sac-shaped flower holder of brown wickerwork with open mouth at top finished with braided rim. Three-leaved vine attached to side of mouth is of leaf fibre backed with newspaper on shaped frame with coiled vine stem. Small loop on opposite side of mouth. Bamboo tube for holding water is missing.
Porcelain with transparent glaze and cobalt decorative slip (outside only); trimmed foot; 8 panels - 4 floral alternating with panels containing Japanese poems calligraphy; signed on bottom; very thin porcelain.
Porcelain with transparent glaze and cobalt decorative slip (outside only); trimmed foot; 8 panels - 4 floral alternating with panels containing Japanese poems calligraphy; signed on bottom; very thin porcelain.
Shallow bowl with footed base. Outside glossy vermilion and rust orange, unglossy inside bowl, grey and gold laquer plant with butterfly inside bowl. Calligraphy and two signature stamps outside bowl. Has either warped or was intentionally shaped to become slightly raised on opposite slopes of the …
Shallow bowl with footed base. Outside glossy vermilion and rust orange, unglossy inside bowl, grey and gold laquer plant with butterfly inside bowl. Calligraphy and two signature stamps outside bowl. Has either warped or was intentionally shaped to become slightly raised on opposite slopes of the bowl sides.