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Mingei & Arts

Japanese furniture has as its core design element simplicity of form and structure. The craftsmanship, which has been learned and mastered over hundreds of years, gives the pieces a unique and rich character.
The philosophical pillar of mingei is “hand-crafted art of ordinary people”. Yanagi Soetsu discovered beauty in everyday ordinary and utilitarian objects created by nameless and unknown craftsmen. According to Yanagi, utilitarian objects made by the common people are “beyond beauty and ugliness”.
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    japanese ceramic hibachi

    circa: mid century material: stoneware region: Kyoto dia: 10-1/2″ height: 9-1/4″ price: sold #2500

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    japanese antique ceramic vase

    circa: meiji era 1880 material: stoneware region: shigaraki dia: 10″ height: 15″ price: sold #2507

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    japanese antique ceramic ware

    Shigaraki yaki 信楽焼 circa: meiji 1880 material: stoneware region: Shigaraki dia: 10″ height: 14″ price: sold #2502

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    japanese firefighters’ happi

    circa: 1930′ material: cotton width: 51″ length: 35″ price: sold #b257

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    japanese edo ceramic tsubo

    circa: meiji 1880-1900 material: stoneware region: shigaraki 信楽焼 dia: 11″ height: 14″ price: sold #b2502

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    japanese taisho era obi

    circa: 1920 material: silk width: 12″ length: 146″ price: sold #b2588

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    japanese early showa lattice

    circa: 1920-30 wood: hinoki (cypress) region: Kansai width: 37-1/2″ height: 32-1/2″ price: 125 #c383

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    japanese antique ceramic soba choko

    circa: edo 1860 dia: 3″ height: 2-1/2″ price: sold #b2501

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    japanese taisho basket

    circa: 1920 material: bamboo region: kyoto dia: 22-1/2″ height: 22″ price: sold #b818

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    japanese antique boro tsutsugaki

    circa: edo 1860 material: cotton region: niigata prefecture width: 25″ height: 62″ price: sold #b855

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    japanese antique ceramic cha tsubo

    circa: 1880 region: shigaraki dia: 12″ height: 16″ price: sold #b870

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    japanese old metal lantern

    circa: 1920-30 material: metal area: kyoto width: 13″ height: 36″ price: sold #086

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    japanese antique ishi otafuku

    A rare stone otafuku お多福 era: meiji material: stone width: 27″ height: 11″ price: sold #024

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    japanese taisho shibori aizome

    shibori aizome 絞り藍染め circa: 1910-20 material: cotton width: 25″ length: 45″ price: sold #b852

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    japanese old tanuki and kaeru

    shigaraki tanuki and kaeru

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    japanese embroidery shishu

    nihon shishu 日本刺繍 with original frame circa: taisho 1910-20 material: silk thread width: 13-1/2″ framed height: 10-1/2″ framed price: sold

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    japanese taisho era shishu

    nihon shishu 日本刺繍 with original frame circa: 1910-20 material: silk thread width: 13-1/2″ framed height: 10-1/2″ framed price: sold

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    Japanese antique textile tsutsugaki

    edo era textile tsutsugaki with indigo dye (aizome 藍染め) circa: 1860 material: cotton region: niigata prefecture width: 30″ length: 52″ price: sold #b768

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    japanese meiji era tokoname ware

    tokoname yaki 常滑焼 circa: 1900 material: stoneware region: tokoname dia: 13-3/4″ height: 19″ price: sold #b761

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    japanese woodblock print

    artist: kiyoshi nagai 1911-1984 title: the fire side year: 1971 signature: pencil, lower right edition size: 147-25 width: 20-3/4″ framed height: 25-3/4 framed price: 395 #c219

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    japanese edo era hokkai bako

    circa: edo 1860 wood: hinoki (cypress) region: kyoto dia: 15″ height: 17″ price: sold #b733

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    japanese meiji era textile katazome

    katazome textile with design of chrysanthemums and karakusa. circa: 1880-1900 material: cotton width: 39″ height: 65″ price: sold #b809

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    japanese antique textile tsutsugaki

    edo era textile tsutsugaki with indigo dye (aizome 藍染め) circa: 1860 material: cotton region: akita prefecture width: 63-1/2″ height: 50″ price: sold #b768

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    japanese antique shigaraki pottery

    shigaraki tsubo 信楽壺 circa: 1880-1900 material: stoneware region: shigaraki dia: 9″ height: 12″ price: 450 #b756

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    Japanese wood carving of ebisu and daikoku

    ebisu(惠比須) is japanese God of the ocean and fishing folk. daikoku(大黑天）is God of the earth, agriculture, and rice. circa: edo era 1860 material: hinoki width: 4″ height: 7″ price: sold #b712

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    japanese old antique tsutsugaki indigo dye

    this is japanese edo era’s furoshiki 風呂敷 with aizome 藍染(indigo dye). circa: 1860 material: 100% cotton width: 52″ length: 60″ price: sold #b533

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    mizuno toshikata woodblock print

    artist: mizuno toshikata (1866-1908) title: hisagi onna (woman seller) woman of the bunan era (1444-49) from the series of thirty-six elegant selections signature: toshikata date: 1892 publisher: akiyama buemon format: oban width: 16-1/4″ framed height: 20-1/2″ framed price: sold #c208

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    japanese tsutsugaki indigo dye furoshiki

    depicts a bundle of noshi. noshi: is a short form of noshi awabi熨斗鮑, which literally means stretched abalone. in old japan, abalone meat was considered a gift of good fortune. tsutsugaki筒描: japanese traditional rice paste-resist dyeing technique on cloth, in which the paste is washed off after dyeing. furoshiki風呂敷: wrapping cloth. circa: 1900 material: 100% […]

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    japanese antique textile edo era tsutsugaki

    edo period textile tsutsugaki with indigo dye circa: 1860 material: cotton region: yamagata width: 36″ length: 54″ price: sold #b067

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    japanese antique door meiji era kurado

    circa: 1880 wood: hinoki (cypress) region: shiga width: 32-1/2″ height: 69-3/4″ depth: 1-1/4″ price: sold #b333

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    hiroshige woodblock print ukiyo-e

    artist: utagawa hiroshige (1797-1858) title: shono sudden shower from the series of the tokaido gojusan tsugi no uchi (53 stations of the tokaido road) dated: originally in about 1833. this re-carved edition was made in unknown date signature: hiroshige ga format: chuban yoko-e width: 15-3/4″ framed height: 12-1/4″ framed price: sold #d012

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    hiroshige woodblock print ukiyo-e

    artist: utagawa hiroshige (1797-1858) title: nagakubo from the series of the kisokaido rokujukyu tsugi no uchi (69-stations of the kisokaido) dated: originally in about 1837. this re-carved edition was made in unknown date signature: hiroshige ga format: chuban yoko-e width: 15-3/4″ framed height: 12-1/4″ framed price: sold #d012

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    japanese antique edo era mingei tetsubin

    circa: 1860 material: cast iron region: yamagata prefecture width: 8-1/2″ height: 6″ depth: 7″ price: sold #b706

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    japanese antique meiji era box with zougan art

    zougan is a traditional japanese work of art. wood patterns applied to object surface. circa: 1900 wood: hinoki (cypress) region: hakone dia: 12-1/2″ height: 5-1/5″ price: 145 #d012

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    hiroshige woodblock print ukiyo-e

    artist: utagawa hiroshige (1797-1858) title: kanbara, yoru no yuki (kanbara, night snow) from the series of the tokaido gojusan tsugi no uchi (53 stations of the tokaido road) dated: originally in 1833-34. this re-carved edition was made in unknown date signature: hiroshige ga format: chuban yoko-e width: 15-3/4″ framed height: 12-1/4″ framed price: sold #d011

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    hiroshige woodblock print ukiyo-e

    artist: utagawa hiroshige (1797-1858) title: tamagawa shugetsu (autumn moon at tama river) from the series edo kinko hakkei no uchi (eight views of the environs of edo) dated: originally in 1838. this re-carved edition was made in unknown date. signature: hiroshige ga format: chuban yoko-e width: 15-3/4″ framed height: 12-1/4″ framed price: sold #d010