Gyoko Furniture

A Japanese carved and painted wooden sign with a Samurai from the Meiji Period, 19th century. This 19th century sign with a samurai was made in wood and painted in Japan during the Meiji period. The narrow rectangular panel features a painted frame with a character depicted in the upper section, showcasing a seated samurai wearing his armour. The section below is adorned with four lightly carved and back painted calligraphies. This tall panel can be hinged thanks to two square buckles on the top. Made during the 19th century, this antique Meiji period painted wood sign...

A well cast pair of Japanese mixed metal okimono figures of Buddhist guardians, known as Nio or Dharmapala, protectors of Buddhist faith, Meiji Period, Japan. The smiling bronze g...

Unusual Japanese Folk Art theatre mask depicting the playful character Mitsumekozo, a three eyed goblin often portrayed as a mischevious creature in comical plays, late Meiji period,...

A large and stylish antique Japanese Meiji bronze lidded twin handle urn standing on a rounded plinth base with tongue and grotesque head formed legs with dragon handles and a flat c...

Japanese Kimono storage box, constructed of wood and bamboo, painted black with family crest painted in red on the sides. The top has wood slats, which ...

A very fine and detailed Tokyo School cast bronze okimono (decorative sculpture) of a smiling farmer, Meiji period, late 19th century, Japan. The e...

A spectacular Japanese cast, carved, and parcel gilt bronze sculpture, okimono, of a kneeling samurai archer, signed Kiyotsugu (died 1894), Meiji ...

Tenjin-Sama, Shinto Deity of Learning and Wisdom, Meiji Period Tenjin,-Sama, Deification of Sugawara no Michizane, was a famous scholar, poet and politician of the Heian period. In...

Presenting an extraordinary Large and Exceptional Japanese Meiji Period Tokyo School Bronze Sculpture depicting a delightful ensemble of six energe...

Antique Japanese root stand. Meiji period (1868-1912) carving from a single piece of fruitwood in a natural root design. Originally made for presen...

Featuring Seven Japanese Macaques Form our Japanese collection, we are delighted to offer this Japanese Bronze Monkey Group by Shosai. The Japanese Bronze Group displaying a male father monkey and his infants playing around and being mischievous with Persimmon fruit. The monkeys modelled as Japanese macaque monkeys (snow monkey). The bronze okimono is beautifully patinated with a highly lifelike and naturalistic casting signed to the underside Shosai 正齊鋳. The Bronze group dates to the Meiji Period (1868-1912) circa 1885. Japanese macaque (snow monkey) is a terrestrial Old World monkey species that is native to Japan. They are known as snow monkeys because some live in areas where snow covers the ground for long periods each year hence their nickname. No other non-human primate lives further north or in a colder climate than the snow monkey. Individuals have brownish grey fur, pinkish-red faces, and short tails. Two subspecies are known and their conservation Status is of least concern. In Japan, the species is known as Nihonzaru ニホンザル, 日本 (Japan/Nihon) and saru 猿 (monkey) to distinguish it from other primates, but the Japanese macaque is the only species of monkey in Japan. The Japanese macaque features heavily in the religion, folklore, and art of Japan, as well as in proverbs and idiomatic expressions in the Japanese language. They are often seen in paintings, block prints and represented in all manner of carvings from Okimono to netsuke. Many of these art forms reside in the world’s most famous museums and collections, some of the most prominent pieces by artists such as Mori Sosen and Kawanabe Kyosai. In Shinto belief (Japan’s indigenous religion/nature religion) legendary mythical beasts known as raiju sometimes appeared as monkeys and kept Raijin (the god of lightning/storms) company. In another well known tale the three wise monkeys who warn people to “see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil” can be seen depicted in relief over the door of the famous Tosho-gu shrine in Nikko. Meiji Period was an era of Japanese history that spanned from 1868 to 1912. It was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people began to build a paradigm of a modern, industrialised nation state and emergent great power, influenced by Western countries and aesthetics. As a result of radically different ideas, the changes to Japan were profound and it affected the social structure, politics, economy, military, and foreign relations across the board. The period corresponded to the reign of Emperor Meiji and was preceded by the Keio era and was succeeded by the Taisho era. Cultural Art during the Meiji Period was of particular interest to the government and they overhauled the art export market which in turn promoted Japanese arts via various world’s fairs, beginning in Vienna at the world fair in 1873. The government heavily funded the fairs and took an active role organising how Japan’s culture was presented to the world including creating a semi-public company named Kiritsu Kosho Kaisha (First Industrial Manufacturing Company). The Kiritsu Kosho Kaisha was used to promote and commercialise exports of Japanese art and established the Hakurankai Jimukyoku (Exhibition Bureau) to maintain quality standards. For the 1876 Centennial International Exhibition in Philadelphia, the Japanese government created a Centennial Office and sent a special envoy to secure space for the 30,000 items that would be displayed. The Imperial Household also took an active interest in arts and crafts, commissioning works by select artists to be given as gifts for foreign dignitaries further emphasising the high quality and importance of Japanese art. Just before the end of the 19th century in 1890, the Teishitsu Gigeiin (Artist to the Imperial Household) system was created to recognise distinguished artists. These artists were selected for their exceptionally high quality wares and talent in their own industry. Over a period of 54 years Seventy artists were appointed, amongst these were ceramicist Makuzu Kozan and cloisonné enamel artist...

Magnificent and powerful, fantastically sculptural, ferocious bronze Japanese writhing sea dragon candleholder is coiled around itself, with an uplifted head and a stylized plume of ...