{"title":"Religious Art","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIn Japanese history, religion is less a matter of doctrinal allegiance than a harmonious constellation of practices, each offering a lens on the sacred.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eShinto is Japan’s indigenous animistic religious tradition, centered on the veneration of kami—spirits or forces residing in natural phenomena, ancestral lines, mountains, rivers, and mythic deities. It emphasizes seasonal rites, and a harmonious relationship with nature. Shinto does not demand exclusive belief, allowing it to coexist fluidly with other traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eIntroduced from the Korean peninsula in the 6th century, Buddhism became a defining force in Japanese art, statecraft, and intellectual life. For over a millennium, the distinction between Shinto and Buddhism was not firm. Temples housed Shinto deities; shrines enshrined Buddhist icons. Kami were interpreted as local manifestations (suijaku) of universal Buddhas (honji).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eThough not institutionalized in Japan as formal religions, Daoism and Confucianism strongly influenced Japanese thought, government, and aesthetics. Daoism contributed deities, Immortal sages, cranes, and turtles as symbols of long life, The cosmological animals, The Five Elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and Yin–Yang cosmology. Daoist motifs permeate esoteric Buddhist art (particularly Shingon) and literati painting (sennin figures, hermit sages, mountain ascetics).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eConfucianism shaped: bushido, the samurai code and its ethics of loyalty, hierarchy, filial piety, and was the basis of the Tokugawa administrative and educational systems. Confucian symbols—such as plum blossoms, bamboo, and pine (the “Three Friends of Winter”)—became common themes in decorative arts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eJapanese religious sculpture is among the most refined in the world. Due to this confluence of thought, traditional religious furnishings in Japan span both Shinto and Buddhist spheres, often with shared forms and borrowed iconography from Daoism and Confucianism.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"gilded-sahari-do-buddhist-koro-incense-burner-ー金砂張香炉","title":"Gilded Sahari-do Buddhist Koro Incense Burner ー金砂張香炉","description":"\u003cp\u003eA beautiful gilded Sahari-do Koro in the shape of a buddhist jewel surmounted by a shishi lion with flame handles licking up the sides and supported on a ring with three taotai heads. It is 12.5 x 10 x 14.5 cm (5 x 4 x 5-3\/4 inches) dating from the 19th century, and is in excellent condition. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49812309901559,"sku":"K853","price":950.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-06-0303.31.20copy.jpg?v=1751081263"},{"product_id":"rare-edo-p-japanese-buddhist-scroll-daizuigu-bosatsu-ー大隨求菩薩尊像","title":"Rare Edo p. Japanese Buddhist Scroll, Daizuigu Bosatsu ー\"大隨求菩薩尊像\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eA breathtaking rare image of the protective deity Daizuigu Bosatsu (sk Mahā-pratisarā ) dating from the Edo period in vivid color on gilded silk. Seated at the heart of a radiant mandala, Mahā-pratisarā—revered as the Great Protectress—radiates calm authority and divine compassion. Adorned in celestial robes and crowned with wisdom, she is depicted with multiple arms, each bearing ritual implements or forming symbolic gestures that promise refuge, healing, and spiritual fulfillment. Her serene expression and centered posture evoke a stillness beyond time, while the surrounding halo of flame suggests the transformative power of the sacred. Woven from gold, vermilion, and quiet resolve, this image captures the bodhisattva’s role as a guardian of devotees and a vessel of deep esoteric power. Serenity pervades the scene. Gold veins the silk background in small, delicate square of “Haku”. Nearly invisible restorations to worm holes in the silk attest to the age, and the care given in the restoration it has undergone. It is mounted in green silk threaded with golden flowers, extended in a patterned bronze color with etched brass hardware and rollers typical of Buddhist imagery. The scroll is 62 x 209 cm (24-1\/2 x 82-1\/2 inches) and is in overall excellent condition, remounted in a style reflecting the original and comes in an age darkened wooden box titled Daizuigu Bosatsu Sonzo.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMahā-pratisarā is a powerful bodhisattva venerated in both Mahayana and Esoteric (Vajrayana) Buddhist traditions, especially known as a protectress and granter of wishes. Her name, derived from Sanskrit, means “Great Refuge” or “Great Protection,” and she is invoked for her ability to dispel misfortune, safeguard against calamity, and ensure the fulfillment of sincere desires.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOften depicted as a serene yet regal figure adorned with rich jewelry and divine attributes, Mahā-pratisarā typically holds a variety of implements—including the lotus, vajra, and scripture scroll—symbolizing purity, wisdom, and the protective power of dharma. She is considered the spiritual embodiment of the great Dhāraṇī-sūtra (mantric scripture), and her iconography is deeply connected with esoteric rituals aimed at protection, purification, and prosperity.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Japanese Buddhism, she is revered as Daizuigu Bosatsu and is associated with the practice of the Zuigu Dharani, a powerful incantation believed to bring healing and divine aid. Though less well known than more prominent bodhisattvas like Kannon (Avalokiteśvara) or Monju (Mañjuśrī), Mahā-pratisarā’s role as a guardian and wish-fulfiller makes her a treasured presence in temple iconography and ritual practice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49894097944823,"sku":"R023","price":4500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/R023.jpg?v=1753508133"},{"product_id":"ancient-nyorai-kojin-guardian-deity-scroll","title":"Ancient Nyorai Kojin, Guardian Deity Scroll","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn Edo period (17th century) hanging scroll depicting Nyorai Kojin, a deity protecting against disaster. Represented as a multi-armed, feminine deity, combines the gentle nature of Nyorai (the Buddha) and the fierce aspects of Kojin, a Shinto god (kami) associated with fire. Such imagery represents a mixture of Buddhist and Shinto beliefs. Such syncretic imagery was common in Japan before the government ordered the separation of the two religions in the 1870s. The deity holds a lotus flower in its top right hand, a multipronged Vajra in the top left.  The middle arms hold a pagoda on a lotus base and a flaming jewel, while the bottom hands hold vajras, implements which represent the diamond-hard wisdom that permeates the universe. This six-armed figure seated on a lotus is precisely the same incarnation as one held in the collection of Nara’s Shoriniji Temple. Ink, color, and gold on paper, remounted in a 19th century style of pale tsumugi silk featuring dark-wood rollers (a note on back indicated restoration in Meiji 19 (1886). The scroll is 62 x 175 cm (24-1\/2 x 69 inches). The paper is stained with incense smoke and toned with centuries of exposure, with fine cracks throughout attesting to its great age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany Esoteric deities, such as this one, have multiple heads or arms, a result of the gradual assimilation of Hindu deities into the Buddhist pantheon. Unlike the Pure Land school that teaches that a person can be saved by a simple proclamation of faith in Amida Buddha, Esoteric schools require initiation into secret rituals, chants and meditation upon mandalas (complex cosmic diagrams). Originally this painting shimmered with rich pigments and painted gold, accentuating the otherworldly aspect of the deity and heightening the visual impact of the image when meditated upon by a worshipper. Images of this deity for comparison are held in the Spencer Art Museum and Museum of Fine Arts Boston.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49894604669175,"sku":"R019","price":4500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/R019.jpg?v=1753587590"},{"product_id":"exquisite-vertical-kannon-triad","title":"Exquisite Vertical Kannon Triad","description":"\u003cp\u003eGracefully enthroned upon a blossoming lotus, this Bosatsu radiates quiet clarity Holding a lotus blossom in the right hand and raising the left in a gesture of reassurance, the bodhisattva exudes gentle compassion. With hands held in the gesture of devotion, the bodhisattva appears suspended in luminous serenity, framed by delicately layered halos and flanked by ethereal blossoms. Above, a garland of lotus flowers drapes like a celestial canopy, while the richly patterned garments and fine detailing in gold leaf evoke the refined devotional aesthetics of the Edo period. This figure very likely represents a classical or slightly esoteric interpretation of Shō Kannon, the Sacred Form of Avalokiteśvara, one of the 33 manifestations of Kannon in Japanese Buddhism. Shō Kannon is often portrayed seated in contemplative repose upon a lotus pedestal, bearing a lotus, and displaying a serene, compassionate demeanor. Crowned and adorned with princely ornaments, Shō Kannon appears as a timeless protector of beings in distress. A lotus in hand is a common attribute of Kannon while the left hand open with palm facing outward at chest height is can be interpreted as a variation of the abhaya mudrā (gesture of reassurance or blessing), though it may also reference a localized esoteric gesture. In this vertical triptych, the central figure is flanked above and below by a Siddhaṃ seed syllable and a single lotus flower respectively. The seed character representing Brahmā, one of the celestial deities (tenbu) derived from Brahman, the supreme cosmic principle described in the Brāhmaṇa texts and the Upaniṣads. Brahman came to be conceived as the ultimate essence underlying the universe. Over time, Brahmā emerged as a personified form of this principle, eventually replacing Prajāpati as the creator god responsible for bringing all things into being and is revered as the sovereign of the Brahmā-world (Brahmaloka), one of the highest realms of existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInk, color, and gold on silk, it maintains the original silk mounting patterned with clouds over applied gold leaf terminating in etched brass rollers typical of Buddhist art.  The scroll is 31 x 161 cm (12-1\/2 x 63-1\/2 inches) and is in overall fine condition, with some wear do to centuries of handling. It comes in an old wooden storage box.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49894624297207,"sku":"R017","price":3000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/R017.jpg?v=1753588864"},{"product_id":"edo-p-talismanic-scroll-hakutaku-by-zen-priest-宙宝-宗宇-白沢","title":"Edo p. Talismanic Scroll, Hakutaku by Zen Priest  ー宙宝 宗宇 “白沢\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn image of a Hakutaku by 418th head priest of Daitokuji Temple Chuho Sou.  Ink and light color on paper remounted in blue cloth extended with beige terminating in black lacquered wooden rollers.  Judging by the calligraphy to the left the image was painted as a charm to ward off evil. The scroll is 51 x 130 cm (20 x 51 inches) and is in fine condition.  It comes enclosed in an annotated wooden box. A Hakutaku (白沢) is a mythological creature from Chinese and Japanese folklore, known as a wise, benevolent beast with deep connections to the spirit world and esoteric knowledge. Said to appear only to virtuous rulers, this auspicious creature is most commonly depicted as a leonine or bovine figure with multiple eyes—often nine in total—believed to grant it the ability to perceive all things, including the presence of disease and malevolent spirits. According to legend, the Yellow Emperor of China encountered the Hakutaku, who imparted to him detailed knowledge of the world’s myriad supernatural beings and how to guard against them. In Japan, the Hakutaku became especially prominent as a talismanic figure during times of epidemic, its image reproduced in woodblock prints and hung in homes as a ward against illness. Merging esoteric knowledge with benevolence, the Hakutaku endures as a guardian of both body and spirit.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChuho Sou (1760-1838) Soū was a member of the Rinzai sect at Nanzenji temple. He was born in Kyoto, and studied Zen under the 416th Daitokuji master Sokan.  His Buddhist name is Sou, and other names used by him are Chuho, Shogetsu, and Rakuyojin.  He succeeded Daitokuji temple in 1807 becoming the 418th head of the temple complex, while serving as the 13th head of Hoshunin Temple.  He later built the Tea House Shogetsuan in Hushunin.  In 1836 he received the name Daikoshinsho Zen Shi from the Emperor Ninko.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sou Chuho","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49894649430263,"sku":"R005","price":2500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/R005.jpg?v=1753589857"},{"product_id":"edo-p-dragon-image-by-priest-ー如蓮-和尚-大寅-和尚","title":"Edo p. Dragon Image by Priest ー如蓮 和尚 (大寅 和尚)","description":"\u003cp\u003eA radical writhing character for dragon dating from the Edo period recently mounted in green brocade extended in patterned blue retaining the original bone rollers.  It is ink on paper, signed Nyoren.  The scroll is 36 x 178 cm (14 x 70 inches) and in excellent condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNyoren Osho (no dates, also known as Daiin) was famous for rebuilding the original Main Hall (Hondo) of Jinryuji Temple in the domain of the Tsuchiya clan, near modern day Tsukuba, completed in 1833.  He came to Tsukuba at the age of 31 as head preist of Kakuo-ji.  He was then made the head of the official temple of the Daimyo of the Fief, the Tsuchiya family Temple of Jinryuji, which he restored to the greatness of its Muromachi era beginnings.  When he would receive a donation from a citizen of the city, in return he would give them a calligraphic image of a dragon.  His radical calligraphic characters can still be seen on the sign over the gate of the Temple.  They were called Hifuse-ryu because they were believed on a number of occasions to have magically saved houses from fires.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nyoren Osho","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49900501139703,"sku":"Z021","price":2500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z021.jpg?v=1753684793"},{"product_id":"17th-century-zenga-daruma-image-by-priest-ー江雪-宗立-ダルマ","title":"17th century Zenga Daruma Image by Priest ー江雪 宗立 “ダルマ”","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe hunched figure of the Daruma, wrapped in robes and seated staring in contemplation at the four lines of calligraphy by 17th century Zen priest Kosetsu mounted as a hanging scroll.  Ink on paper in an Edo period mounting of patterned green silk extended with beige silk and featuring ivory rollers. It is 58 x 113 cm (23 x 44-1\/2 inches) and is still quite presentable, with some discoloration and stains on the original paper typical of age.  It comes enclosed in a custom period kiri-wood box titled Daitokuji Kosetsu-ga fuku.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKosetsu Soryu (1595-1666) was a priest of the Rinzai Sect of Buddhism born in Izumi, Osaka, who studied under Takuan Soho and Kogetsu Sogan.  He was appointed the 181st head of Daitokuji in 1644. In 1648 he would move to develop the temple Koshinji in the castle town of Akidzuki in Chikuzen (modern day Fukuoka) for the powerful Kuroda Daimyo family.  This piece is signed Zen Ryuho Kosetsu (Ryuho is the Mountain name of Daitokuji) indicating this was painted after he left that temple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kosetsu Soryu","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49900553961719,"sku":"Z028","price":2400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z028_b109603c-ae18-4cd0-a6e1-3a387ee96ebe.jpg?v=1753689368"},{"product_id":"pair-of-edo-period-inari-kitsune-fox-guardians","title":"Pair of Edo period Inari Kitsune Fox Guardians","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn exquisite pair of large white foxes in the Yosegi carving style making use of fitted blocks of wood dating from the second half of the Edo period. They wear a shrewd look, glass eyes narrowed to slits, enhancing their mischievous image. The mystical carvings are covered in white gofun, stained a soft gray from age with highlights still white from eons of careful cleaning. The fox is a magical being, believed a shape shifter and protector of Shinto Shrines. They are also the kami (a term meaning divinity) of business. Every January the Fox Shrine, Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, is inundated at New Year with entrepreneurs, business people and the self employed praying for a successful year. The fox alone are roughly 36 cm (15-1\/2 inches) tall each and in excellent condition.  They have been professionally cleaned and repaired by the prestigious Matsuhisa Buddhist art studio in Kyoto.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInari and fox symbolism are some of the richest and most complex aspects of Japanese religion and culture, bridging Shinto, Buddhism, and folk practice. In Shinto, Inari Ōkami is a fluid and multifaceted kami of rice, fertility, and prosperity, widely worshiped at shrines marked by vermilion torii and fox statues, where the fox (kitsune) serves as divine messenger holding keys, jewels, or rice sheaves symbolizing abundance and protection. Through Buddhist syncretism, Inari became associated with Dakini-ten, an esoteric deity often depicted riding a white fox, linking Inari worship to tantric rites and temple practices. Thus Inari, fused with Dakini-ten, has esoteric significance. In folk belief, however, kitsune take on a more ambiguous role: as shape-shifting spirits they may seduce, deceive, or protect; as possessors (kitsune-tsuki) they inspire both fear and ritualized respect; and as liminal beings they stand at the threshold between blessing and misfortune, human and divine. Together, Inari and fox symbolism embody the ambiguous, fluid, and interconnected nature of Japanese spirituality, where a single figure can be at once divine and evil, esoteric, and folkloric protective and unpredictable. Across these contexts, Inari and the fox embody fertility, wealth, and the precarious balance of life, their enduring power lying in their ability to bridge the sacred and the everyday.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50008401314039,"sku":"K946","price":5800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-08-2208.36.13copy.jpg?v=1757729546"},{"product_id":"ancient-wooden-tengu-mask-kamakura-to-muromachi-period","title":"Ancient Wooden Tengu Mask, Kamakura to Muromachi period","description":"\u003cp\u003eKarasu Tengu Demon Mask dating from the Kamakura to Muromachi period carved of wood covered in polychrome red and black with outrageous features and curly hair. This image of a bird-beaked Tengu with furled brows, bulging eyes an oversized nose was carved between the 12th and 14th centuries. The overall carving style and coloration including chisel marks on the back are consistent with the dating and the close set irises of the eyes, looking downward, is a feature of this early era. The mask is 21.5 x 14.5 x 8 cm (8-1\/2 x 5-3\/4 x 3 inches). It has been broken and re-attached down the left side of the face.  It comes in an old kiri-wood storage box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe art of the mask in Japan is inseparable from its rich ritual and theatrical traditions, tracing a continuous thread from early times to the codification of Noh theatre in the Momoyama era. Japanese masks were not merely decorative; they embodied spiritual, social, and performative functions, serving as conduits between the human and supernatural realms, and as instruments of communal expression.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe earliest extant masked performances are Gigaku (7th–8th centuries), imported from continental Asia during the Asuka and Nara periods. These processional dances, performed at temples and court ceremonies, were largely silent and highly stylized, with masks representing foreign envoys, fierce guardians, animals, and comic figures. Gigaku masks were monumental in scale and striking in their exaggerated features, establishing a precedent for carved wooden masks as a central medium in Japanese performance. Although the tradition waned by the Heian period, its formal vocabulary and sculptural sensibility influenced subsequent masked arts.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBugaku, flourishing from the Heian period onward, represents the elegant counterpart to Gigaku. Performed at the imperial court and major shrines, Bugaku drew upon Chinese and Korean models while developing a distinct Japanese aesthetic. Its masks—depicting warriors, divine beings, dragons, and foreign dignitaries—were designed to convey dignity and ritual precision. Here, the mask functioned not only as a theatrical device but as a marker of aristocratic ceremonial culture, codifying gesture, costume, and narrative into a visual whole.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlongside courtly forms, masks played a vital role in agrarian and religious rituals. Dengaku, originating as fertility dances in the countryside during the Heian period, gradually entered urban and temple contexts. Masks in Dengaku were comparatively informal, representing villagers, comic figures, and occasionally deities, reflecting the improvisatory and communal character of the performances. Similarly, Gyōdō, or ritual processions, employed masks to manifest Buddhist cosmology: Niō guardians, Bodhisattvas, and other protective figures were worn to dramatize spiritual narratives and invoke sacred presence, particularly in temple parades or consecration ceremonies.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe practice of ritualized demon-chasing is exemplified in Tsuina, performed during the New Year or on Setsubun, beginning in the Heian period and continuing through the medieval era. Participants, often ritual specialists, wore grotesque oni masks to expel evil and purify space, enacting a symbolic struggle between human and demonic forces. These masks were typically exaggerated in form—featuring snarling mouths, bulging eyes, and prominent horns—and their performance was both a protective rite and a communal spectacle. Tsuina directly informed later folk customs, such as the throwing of beans at oni, preserving the connection between mask, ritual, and social practice.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the Kamakura and Muromachi periods, these threads converged in the development of Noh theatre. Drawing upon the formal elegance of Bugaku, the spiritual weight of Gyōdō, and the comic or grotesque vitality of Dengaku and Tsuina, Noh codified a repertoire of masks representing human, divine, and demonic characters. Muromachi masks like the Shikami or Ko-beshimi embodied intense emotional and supernatural states, while Momoyama refinements produced a stable set of expressive types, including Tengu and other demon masks used in both ritualized and dramatic contexts. These masks, carved with subtle attention to line and form, became repositories of theatrical tradition, preserving centuries of spiritual and performative knowledge.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50011902509303,"sku":"K855","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-06-0304.01.42.jpg?v=1756005390"},{"product_id":"goki-the-demon-attendant-of-en-no-gyoja","title":"Goki, The Demon Attendant of En-no-Gyoja","description":"\u003cp\u003eA powerful soot blackened image of Goki, one of two attendant demons of En no Gyoja, here seen with the sacred flask in his right fist. It has fierce, glass eyes with glowing gold irises. Muromachi to Momoyama period (14th–16th century). The figure is 37 x 27 x 41.5cm (15 x 11 x 16-1\/2 inches). Originally covered in thick pigments, much has flaked off, and all is coated in thick black incense soot. The bottom of the flask magical is missing.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEn no Gyōja, the semi-legendary founder of Shugendō, is often said to have had two supernatural attendants (kijin) who served him after being bound by his powers. According to legend, they were originally fierce demons who caused trouble in the mountains, but En no Gyōja subdued them through his spiritual discipline and bound them to serve as protectors. In Shugendō lore they come to symbolize the taming of destructive forces and the transformation of destructive forces into protective ones. Zenki is traditionally red and represents the yang (active force), often shown with an axe or a travel pack, while Goki appears in blue or green tones as the yin (receptive force), depicted carrying a jug of sacred water. Interestingly, in folk tradition, Zenki and Goki are sometimes also regarded as the progenitors of the Yamabushi’s “oni clans” in the Yoshino region, where their descendants were believed to live for generations, thus are revered as guardian deities rather than malevolent beings, embodying the power of the mountains.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50011906048247,"sku":"K782","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-03-2307.26.44.jpg?v=1756005970"},{"product_id":"antique-japanese-dragon-calligraphy-scroll","title":"Antique Japanese Dragon Calligraphy Scroll","description":"\u003cp\u003eA bold dragon prances in a single stroke of black on the pale paper of this large format scroll dating from the later 19th to early 20th century stamped by the artist in the lower right corner.  Ink on paper in a silk border with flowering vines featuring pale silk piping with large wooden rollers.  The scroll is 73 x 205.5 cm (28-1\/2 x 81 inches). It has been completely remounted in a style reflecting the Mincho mountings popular for scholarly art in the 19th century.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50013001318647,"sku":"Z131","price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z131.jpg?v=1756093297"},{"product_id":"hakuzosu-fox-in-priest-robes-ー大田垣-蓮月-白蔵主","title":"Hakuzosu Fox in Priest Robes ー大田垣 蓮月 \"白蔵主\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe ethereal fox appears in the mist dressed in the robes of a wandering Buddhist, the wispy characters of a poem by Otagaki Rengetsu draped around like rain. The poem reads:\u003cbr\u003eHito hakaru      Tricking people\u003cbr\u003eSagano no hara no      as is his nature\u003cbr\u003eYuumagure      at twilight in these fields of Sagano...\u003cbr\u003eono ga obana ya     is he displaying his tail\u003cbr\u003ehana to misu ran.     as if it were a plume of silver grass?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInk on paper in a silk border the color of autumn grass terminating in black lacquered wooden rollers. The scroll comes enclosed in a wooden box signed by Tayama Honan at Jinkoin Temple. The scroll is 46.8 x 194.5 cm 18 x 76-1\/2 inches) and is in overall fine condition, with some very faint foxing typical of age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn Japanese folklore and performance, the figure of Hakuzosu occupies a liminal space between priestly authority and the cunning of the fox. Most famously preserved in kyogen plays such as Tsurigitsune (“The Fox Tricked”), Hakuzosu appears as a fox spirit assuming the guise of a venerable Buddhist abbot in order to dissuade a hunter from his pursuit. The transformation captures a central theme in Japanese art and literature: the porous boundary between the sacred and the profane, illusion and truth. Artists and dramatists alike drew upon Hakuzosu to explore both the humor and pathos of human credulity, while also invoking the fox’s longstanding associations with shapeshifting, deception, and divine messengers of the kami Inari. In painted scrolls, carved netsuke, and theatrical masks, the figure embodies a playful yet unsettling reminder that wisdom and trickery often share the same face.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however, her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However, this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNobuo Tayama (art name: Honan (1903-1980), Specialist Member of the Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties, was born in Ayama District, Mie Prefecture, the eldest son of Kawai Shogin, abbot of Manzoji Temple. After graduating from Mie Prefectural Ueno Middle School in 1921, he was adopted as the heir of Tayama Yasokichi of Ueno City. In 1925 he entered the Department of National History, Faculty of Letters, Tokyo Imperial University, graduating in 1928. In August 1929 he was appointed Assistant Inspector of National Treasures in the Religious Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Education, working on the survey and designation of National Treasures. In 1945 he became both a Historical Compilation Officer and National Treasure Inspector. After the war, he served in the Research Division of the National Museum and in the Fine Arts and Crafts Section of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Properties, rising from Cultural Properties Investigator (specializing in calligraphic works) to Chief Investigator, devoting himself until his retirement in 1965 to the survey and designation of documentary and calligraphic heritage, including manuscripts, classical texts, sutra transcriptions, and Zen calligraphic works. After retirement he served as a member of the Council for Cultural Properties, later as Chair of the Calligraphy Division of the First Specialist Subcommittee of the Council for the Protection of Cultural Properties within the Agency for Cultural Affairs, as Director of the Matsunaga Memorial Museum in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and as a Trustee of the Meiji Village Museum Foundation. In his specialty, the study of Zen monastic calligraphy (zenrin bokuseki), he published several volumes, while also undertaking the classification and cataloguing of major collections, including the Yomei Bunko and the Otokyu Memorial Library, producing numerous scholarly annotations. His investigations extended widely to temple archives, religious texts, and complete Buddhist canons. His contributions to the preservation of calligraphic works, classical literature, and documentary heritage in Japan were of the highest importance. He was awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon, in 1973.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Otagaki Rengetsu","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50013150478583,"sku":"Z128","price":2800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z128.jpg?v=1756099284"},{"product_id":"calligraphy-by-zen-priest-antique-japanese-scroll-ー橋本-独山-二行書","title":"Calligraphy by Zen Priest, Antique Japanese Scroll ー橋本 独山 \"二行書\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eA wispy calligraphic parade by Hashimoto Dokuzan, ink on paper in a silk border with solid ivor rollers.  It is 52 x 213.5 cm (21 x 84 inches). There is minor foxing and some soft wrinkles typical of age.It comes in a period wooden box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHashimoto Dokuzan (Gengi, 1869-1938) was born in Niigata, and was sent to Kyoto at the age of 16 to study painting and philosophy under Tomioka Tessai.  At the age of 20 he entered Tenryuji under Gazan.  He received Inka from Ryuen.  In 1910 he moved to Shokokuji, and then was assigned the foundation of Nanonji Temple in Tottori Prefecture.  He served as abbot of Tenryuji Temple and Shokokuji, both important Zen temples in Kyoto.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hashimoto Dokuzan","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50013183738103,"sku":"Z144","price":380.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z144.jpg?v=1756176088"},{"product_id":"buddhist-image-of-a-burning-jewel-ー小西-福年-瑞宝圖","title":"Buddhist Image of a Burning Jewel ー小西 福年 \"瑞宝圖\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eA burning buddhist jewel by artist Konishi Fukunen enclosed in an annotated wooden box. Ink on paper in a Mustard silk border with bone rollers.  It is 38.8 x 188.2 cm (15-1\/4 x 74 cm) and is in overall fine condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKonishi Fukunen (1887-1959) was born in present-day Takefu City, Fukui Prefecture. His given name was Naonosuke, his courtesy name was Jūki, and besides using “Fukunen,” he also adopted the art name “Shibafu-en.” In 1901 he moved to Kyoto, where he became a disciple of Suzuki Shōnen and received the name “Fukunen” from his teacher. As an apprentice living under his master’s roof, he constantly remained by Shōnen’s side, diligently studying his painting methods. To deepen his own artistic expression, he also studied tea ceremony and Noh drama, and, with an eye to the future development of his art, pursued Chinese classical learning and English as well. He was a central figure of the modern Kyoto painting circle known for his bold style. He traveled throughout Japan to sketch from life, mastering realistic expression, while also establishing a refined and distinctive style of his own. With abundant creative energy, he produced and exhibited work in rapid succession, winning high praise and awards at exhibitions such as the Japan Art Exhibition and the Kyoto Painting Exhibition. With repeated awards at exhibitions, he gained renown as one of the leading Nihonga painters of his time. After the death of his teacher Shōnen, he struck out on his own within the Kyoto art world, further pursuing the refinement of his artistic vision. He passed away in 1959 at the age of seventy-three.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Konishi Fukunen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50013218734327,"sku":"Z119","price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z119.jpg?v=1756106312"},{"product_id":"antique-buddhist-image-of-the-zen-patriarch-daruma","title":"Antique Buddhist Image of the Zen Patriarch Daruma","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn 18th century Zen image of the Bodhidharma seated in meditation dressed in red robes, eyes aflame, the gold irises gleaming in the shadow of the Zendo hall, his countenance stern as he contemplates the mysteries of all and nothing.  He is seated on the original wooden stand.  Writing inside the diaper indicates it likely belonged to a temple called Jorakuji. It is 45 cm (18 inches) tall seated on the stand.  The stand itself is 33 x 26.5 cm (13 x 10-1\/2 inches). There is much loss to the original polychrome, exuding an ancient aura.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50049626505463,"sku":"K953","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-09-0305.36.35copy.jpg?v=1757730827"},{"product_id":"gathering-alms-by-zen-priest-ー中原-南天棒","title":"Gathering Alms by Zen Priest ー中原 南天棒","description":"\u003cp\u003eA pair of scrolls featuring monks coming and going on begging rounds by Nakahara Nantenbo. Ink no paper bordered in momigami paper with wood rollers.  Each scroll is 40.8 x 187.5 cm (16 x 74 inches) and are in fine condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNakahara Nantenbo, (Toju Zenchu), did not start painting in earnest until he was already more than 65 years old. Despite this relatively advanced age he was one of the most productive and important Zenga artists in the Meiji\/Taisho era and without a doubt the best-known 20th century Zen painter in the West.   He derived his name Nantenbo from his bo (staff) cut from a 200-year-old Nanten tree. He used it to instruct his students and was a favorite illustration in his well known adage \"To he who answers a strike of the Nanten; To he who refrains a strike of the Nanten\".  Born Keisuke to the Shioda samurai family in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture in North-West Kyushu, he resolved to become a monk at the age of 7.  At the age of 11 he began his training in the Yuko-ji temple in Hirado where he received the name Nakahara Toju. Six years later he traveled to Kyoto to receive training at Empukuji temple. Most of his mature life he spent traveling and teaching. After meeting Yamaoka Tesshu (1836-1888) in 1885 they established a Zen training center at the Dorin-ji temple. Both men greatly influenced each other. He became abbot of Zuigan-ji, Matsushima in 1891 and in 1902 abbot of Bairin-ji and Kaisei-ji. In 1908 he was named the 586th kancho (Chief Abbot) of Myoshin-ji, but spent the remainder of his life at Kaisei-ji.  Much admonished in his lifetime for his firebrand ways and infamous for angering superiors, his reputation and charisma did much to promote the revival of Zen in the early 20th century.  For more information on this important Zen Master, see the art of 20th Century Zen by Stephen Addis and Audrey Yoshiko Seo.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nakahara Nantenbo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50058676011255,"sku":"Z109","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z109.jpg?v=1757128032"},{"product_id":"meiji-p-zen-skull-painting-ー尾竹-竹坡","title":"Meiji p. Zen Skull Painting ー尾竹 竹坡","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Even saints come to nothing in the end” This phrase captions the image of ants crawling over a skull shrouded in a saihai signal wand used by warlords and saints on this expressive image by Otake Chikuha. Ink on paper in a rough tsumugi silk border with bone rollers, it is 43.2 x 209.5 cm (17 x 82-1\/2 inches) and is in overall fine condition, enclosed in a wooden storage box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOtake Chikuha (1878–1936) was born in Niigata, one of three brothers who would come to fame as great painters. Chikuha was a prodigious painter who began studying under Sasada Unseki at age four and gained recognition for his early bird-and-flower compositions. He later trained under Kawabata Gyokushō in Tokyo and emerged as a prominent artist of the Meiji and Taishō periods, known for his bold, dynamic style. He was accepted for the first Bunten in 1907, and continued to win accolades: his Mushroom Hunting (now lost) won third prize at the 1909 Bunten, Otozure (1910) and Mizu (1911) won second prize. Yet tensions with the academic “school style” and the brothers’ own uncompromising characters led to setbacks. In 1913 both were rejected from the Bunten, after which they staged a joint exhibition of the three Otake brothers. He became disillusioned with the art establishment, and at the same time, he sought renewal in his practice, presenting experimental works at the Tatsumi Painting Society and later associating with the Futurists. Toward the late Taishō era he helped found the avant-garde group Yakkakai, contributing the majority of works—59 of 79—in its first exhibition, signaling his determination to reinvent himself. Yet the group dissolved after its third show, and later unjuried entries at the Teiten failed to make impact. In his final years, Chikuha produced large-scale decorative works for the Meguro Gajoen, where much of his artistry remains visible today. His career reflects both the exuberance of early modern Japanese painting and the trials of navigating its evolving art institutions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Otake Chikuha","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50068658585847,"sku":"Z013","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z013.jpg?v=1757381735"},{"product_id":"mid-century-abstract-sumie-scroll-ー大林-天洞","title":"Mid-century Abstract Sumie Scroll ー大林 天洞","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn abstract ink painting by artist and calligrapher Obayashi Tento enclosed in the original signed wooden box dating from the mid century.  Ink and light blue color on paper, in a silk border with mugiwara patterned ceramic rollers, The scroll measures 78.6 x 165 cm (31 x 65 inches) and is in overall excellent condition, with a few wrinkles along the outer edges of the painting.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eŌbayashi Tendō (also Tendōsai, Tento, 1900–1983) was a calligrapher and painter active in the Shōwa period, celebrated especially for his delicate, fine-script called a “grain-of-rice” artist. His public demonstrations became the stuff of legend: in one instance, clad in white tabi before the National Diet Building, he brushed the character for “dragon” across a sheet of paper measuring seventy-five tsubo (that is 150 Tatami mats, 248 square meters, roughly the size of a tennis court!). Contemporary newspaper accounts capture both the artistry and the spectacle of his appearances, which often unfolded against the backdrop of political debate, civic protest, or even the playful satire of talking monkeys and mountain ascetics in the press. Beyond the exuberance of these episodes, his work embodies a meticulous devotion to line and form, securing him a distinctive place among Shōwa-era calligraphers.\u003cbr\u003eThis is visible in the News program found at the following link:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www2.nhk.or.jp\/archives\/movies\/?id=D0009182581_00000\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehttps:\/\/www2.nhk.or.jp\/archives\/movies\/?id=D0009182581_00000\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Obayashi Tendo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50068667072759,"sku":"Z100","price":650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z100.jpg?v=1757382696"},{"product_id":"edo-p-japanese-mizusashi-1851-ー大綱-宗彦-喜祐-雲堂水指","title":"Edo p. Japanese Mizusashi, 1851 ー大綱 宗彦, 喜祐 \"雲堂水指\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eA porcelain fresh water jar for use in the Japanese Maccha Tea Ceremony by Edo period Kyoto potter Kisuke decorated with a pine shaded temple gate among the clouds by Zen Master Taiko (Daiko) Sogen. Atop the lid, serving as a handle, is a large bumble bee, and inside it is dated early spring of Kaei 4 (1851) and signed the 80 year old Taiko as well as Kisuke-Zo. The wooden box is titled Ko-sometsuke Utsushi Un-Do Mizusashi and signed outside Yakimonoshi Kisuke followed by a stamp and signed by the 80 year old man Taiko inside.  The receptacle is 17 cm (7 inches) diameter, 15.5 cm (6 inches) tall and in excellent condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTaiko Sōgen (also Daiko, 1772–1860) was a distinguished Zen priest of the Edo period, serving as the 435th abbot of Daitoku-ji and the 14th abbot of its sub-temple, Ōbai-in. Entering monastic life at Ōbai-in at the age of six, he trained under Yūtani Sōtsū, and in 1820 ascended to the abbacy of Daitoku-ji. Renowned for his refinement in waka poetry and the tea ceremony, he maintained close ties with the heads of the Urasenke, Omotesenke, and Mushakōji Senke lineages, as well as with leading court nobles such as Takatsukasa Masamichi, Konoe Tadahiro, and Kujō Hisatada. He was also connected to the tea practitioner and wealthy merchant Matsumura Sōetsu of Echigo, and played an important role as Zen teacher to Eiraku Hōzen, the celebrated Kyoto potter who began his early training under him at Ōbai-in. His writings include the diary Kūkashitsu nikki and the poetry collection Daikō i’ei, which contains his well-known verse likening human life to bubbles upon the Yodo River. Many of his calligraphic works, inscriptions, and poetic paintings survive, testifying to his enduring influence on the cultural world of Zen and chanoyu.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Taiko Sogen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50093594018039,"sku":"K965","price":1250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-09-1603.10.32.jpg?v=1758701432"},{"product_id":"incredible-mother-of-pearl-inlay-suzuri-bako-lacquer-writing-box","title":"Incredible Mother of Pearl Inlay Suzuri Bako Lacquer Writing Box","description":"\u003cp\u003eA radical design of flowers intertwined with fines and heraldic crests inlayed in mother of pearl into black lacquer in the style of work held in the collection of Shosoin. With a matching silver suiteki water-dropper in the shape of a flowering vine.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50122913349879,"sku":"K985","price":2900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-09-2502.58.43.jpg?v=1759289167"},{"product_id":"chrysanthemum-painting-by-buddhist-nun-ー大石-順教-半折-菊花","title":"Chrysanthemum Painting by Buddhist Nun ー大石 順教 半折 “菊花”","description":"\u003cp\u003eA delicate chrysanthemum painting by the tragic Nun Oishi Junkyo painted with her mouth. Pigment on silk in a silk border patterned with floral sprays over woven bamboo fence featuring bone rollers enclosed in a period wooden box.  The scroll is 57 x 135.5 cm (22-1\/2 x 53-1\/2 inches) and is in fine condition, with toning to the silk typical of age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOishi Junkyo’s life is a triumph over tragedy.  Born into a low family, she was sent to a tea house where she became an apprentice Geisha.  In a famous incident, the Tea House owner in a drunken rage murdered 5 of the Geisha, and cut off both of Junkyo’s arms.  She survived.  Becoming then a teller of stories and singer, she one day saw a bird feeding her young, and realized she could paint if she used her mouth to hold the brush.  She enrolled into a studio, and became an accomplished painter in the Nihonga tradition.  She then married and had two children, but later divorced, raising the two children alone.  She became a nun, and opened a counseling\/self-help center for the disabled.  This was the war years, and the midst of Japan’s industrial revolution.  Both mishaps in the machinations of industry and battle kept her half-way house filled with people in need.  After the war she established a temple, and continued her philanthropic work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oishi Junkyo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50124232884471,"sku":"F147","price":900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/F147.jpg?v=1759196360"},{"product_id":"important-buddhist-nun-calligraphy-scroll-ー大石-順教-いろは","title":"Important Buddhist Nun Calligraphy Scroll ー大石 順教 “いろは”","description":"\u003cp\u003eGolden characters fall like rain down this calligraphy work by Buddhist Nun Oishi Junkyo enclosed in the original signed wooden box containing an explanation of the poem and biography of Junkyo dated 1964.  Gold on blue paper mounted in beige silk extended with light blue and featuring festive red lacquered wooden rollers.  It is 33 x123 cm (13 x 49 inches) and is in excellent condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJunkyo’s life is a triumph over tragedy.  Born into a low family, she was sent to a tea house where she became an apprentice Geisha.  In a famous incident, the Tea House owner in a drunken rage murdered 5 of the Geisha, and cut off both of Junkyo’s arms.  She survived.  Becoming then a teller of stories and singer, she one day saw a bird feeding her young, and realized she could paint if she used her mouth to hold the brush.  She enrolled into a studio, and became an accomplished painter in the Nihonga tradition.  She then married and had two children, but later divorced, raising the two children alone.  She became a nun, and opened a counseling\/self-help center for the disabled.  This was the war years, and the midst of Japan’s industrial revolution.  Both mishaps in the machinations of industry and battle kept her half-way house filled with people in need.  After the war she established a temple, and continued her philanthropic work.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Iroha is one of Japan’s most famous poems, and it has held both cultural and spiritual significance from the Heian period onward. Colors are fragrant, but they fade away. Who in this world can remain unchanged? Today let us cross the deep mountains of existence, and not be led astray, nor intoxicated by illusion. It is often read as an allegory of Buddhist thought, especially the Zen emphasis on the fleeting nature of human existence. The opening line, “Colors are fragrant, but they fade away” expresses the transience of beauty and life, while it concludes with “We shall not be deluded, nor be intoxicated, a call to live without clinging to illusion. the poem contains each kana of the Japanese syllabary exactly once (a perfect pangram).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oishi Junkyo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50319354134775,"sku":"Z150","price":900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/Z150.jpg?v=1764403865"},{"product_id":"auspicious-bats-by-buddhist-nun-ー大石-順教","title":"Auspicious Bats by Buddhist Nun ー大石 順教","description":"\u003cp\u003eVery unusual, 2 bats patrol the night sky by the Buddhist Nun Oishi Junkyo enclosed in a period wooden box. Ink on paper freshly remounted in dark cloth with just a bead of red and gold piping around the image and features black lacquered wooden rollers. It is 38.3 x 192 cm (15 x 75-1\/2 inches) and is in excellent condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBats are auspicious in Asian lore because in China, the word for bat is a homophone for good fortune. This phonetic overlap turned the bat into a visual shorthand for luck. Bats live long lives relative to their size and roost in groups, making them symbols of longevity, family continuity and protective abundance. A house “visited” by bats was traditionally considered blessed, not cursed. Unlike Western folklore East Asian cosmology places them comfortably within yin for they are nocturnal, quiet and associated with caves, dusk, and hidden places. Yin is not negative—it complements yang. Bats therefore signify cosmic balance and harmony between visible and invisible worlds. They are blessings that arrive quietly—seen only by those paying attention.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJunkyo’s life is a triumph over tragedy.  Born into a low family, she was sent to a tea house where she became an apprentice Geisha.  In a famous incident, the Tea House owner in a drunken rage murdered 5 of the Geisha, and cut off both of Junkyo’s arms.  She survived.  Becoming then a teller of stories and singer, she one day saw a bird feeding her young, and realized she could paint if she used her mouth to hold the brush.  She enrolled into a studio, and became an accomplished painter in the Nihonga tradition.  She then married and had two children, but later divorced, raising the two children alone.  She became a nun, and opened a counseling\/self-help center for the disabled.  This was the war years, and the midst of Japan’s industrial revolution.  Both mishaps in the machinations of industry and battle kept her half-way house filled with people in need.  After the war she established a temple, and continued her philanthropic work.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Oishi Junkyo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50485879701751,"sku":"F169","price":1200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/F169.jpg?v=1770697010"},{"product_id":"set-5-antique-japanese-negoro-lacquer-bowls","title":"Set 5 Antique Japanese Negoro Lacquer Bowls","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn exquisite set of 5 17th-18th century lacquered bowls with flaring rims, beautifully turned with unusually refined thin bodies covered in black and red lacquer, and bearing two marks on the base, a circled character for up (heaven) and what appears to be Mune, a common character in a male name. They are magnificently worn, with black lacquer showing through where the red has been worn away from use.  Theya re roughly 13.5 cm (5-1\/4 inches) diameter, 5 cm (2 inches) tall. Well taken care of, still, there are chips to the thin edges and feet, and one repair to the rim about 2.5 cm (1 inch) long on one of the bowls.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNegoro lacquerware is one of Japan’s most distinctive lacquer traditions, celebrated not for pristine polish but for the slow revelation of time itself—a red surface gradually wearing away to expose black beneath. Negoro lacquerware takes its name from Negoro-ji, a powerful Shingon Buddhist temple complex in present-day Wakayama Prefecture. From the late Heian through the Muromachi period, Negoro-ji functioned as a vast religious and economic center, complete with workshops producing ritual implements, furnishings, and everyday utensils for monastic life. Negoro pieces were utilitarian by design: bowls, trays, sutra stands, writing boxes, and ritual vessels meant for constant handling. Their durability—thick wooden cores coated first in black lacquer, then overlaid with vermilion red—was paramount. The hallmark of Negoro-nuri lies in its inevitable transformation. As objects were used, the red lacquer thinned at edges and contact points, allowing the black underlayer to emerge naturally. Over years—and sometimes centuries—each object acquired a unique topography of abrasion; rims darkened by lips and hands, corners softened by movement and surfaces mottled like weathered architecture. This was not planned ornamentation, but the result of lived time. This quality later resonated deeply with tea practitioners, who recognized in Negoro lacquer a material expression of wabi—quiet imperfection, humility, and endurance. In 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi attacked Negoro-ji, destroying much of the temple complex and dispersing its monks. Production at the site effectively ceased. Yet paradoxically, this catastrophe ensured Negoro lacquer’s survival: objects entered circulation among warriors, merchants, and tea masters, where their aesthetic value was newly appreciated. Therefore, by the late Momoyama and early Edo periods, old Negoro pieces were already prized as antiques. During the Edo period, Negoro lacquer became firmly embedded in chanoyu (tea ceremony) culture. Tea masters valued it alongside Bizen ware, Shigaraki jars, and weathered bamboo utensils—objects that bore the marks of time rather than resisting it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50507276714231,"sku":"K1124","price":650.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-12-2106.38.07.jpg?v=1771638534"},{"product_id":"ancient-bugaku-mask-ryo-o-rangryo-the-dragon-king","title":"Ancient Bugaku Mask, Ryo-o (Rangryo) The Dragon King","description":"\u003cp\u003eA breathtaking carved wood mask representing Ryo-o (also Rangryo and a plethora of other spellings), the mythical Dragon King. It is made of carved wood lacquered black and red then covered in gold.  The chin is attached by silk cords to allow the mouth to swing freely with the dancer’s movements. The Rangryo mask represents a young Chinese king who was renowned for his beauty, but who could not intimidate his enemies. In battle, he donned a hideous mask surmounted by a dragon to hide his face and frighten his enemies. The dance is a solo dance; it is highly martial and more active than many other Bugaku dances. This mask is 36.5 x 18.5 x 18 (14-1\/2 x 7-1\/2 x 7-1\/4 inches) and is in excellent condition, enclosed in an age darkened Kiri wood box titled Ryo-o men.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBugaku is an official court dance of Japan, dating back to at least the Heian period, Bugaku dances were so central to protocol that nearly all ceremonies and festivals included them. The dance was especially important in appeasing angry gods, purifying the village, and petitioning the gods for rain or a good harvest.  The dance is performed to the music of drums and flutes. The dancers enter the stage singly in succession, then dance together in pairs, in synchronicity to varying tempos. Each dance has its own mask and is named after the mask. Bugaku masks were sometimes made of wood, like this one, and sometimes made from kanshitsu, dried lacquer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50527492342007,"sku":"K724","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/K724_5_copy.jpg?v=1772335908"},{"product_id":"antique-japanese-chikkon-carved-bamboo-root-skull","title":"Antique Japanese Chikkon Carved Bamboo-Root Skull","description":"\u003cp\u003eNever seen before, a bamboo root carved into the shape of a skull dating from the early 20th century. It is truly an incredible work of art. Beneath we can clearly see the natural structure of the bamboo. Absolute mastery of design and knowledge of the hollowed structure of bamboo itself would have been essential to complete a carving of this magnitude. It is 11.5 x 14.5 x 8.5 cm (4-1\/2 x 5-3\/4 x 3-1\/2 inches) ad is in excellent condition. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50618036814071,"sku":"K1271","price":2800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-01-2015.09.21.jpg?v=1774247523"},{"product_id":"antique-japanese-elephant-shaped-koro-incense-burner","title":"Antique Japanese Elephant-shaped Koro Incense Burner","description":"\u003cp\u003eA low fired ceramic image of an elephant in repose with a dragon blanket dating from the 19th century. The green “blanket” lid has been broken and has color-repairs. There is a chip in the tail, and two hairline cracks from the opening in the back. Underneath it is signed by Banko area artist Morishima Chinmei (d. 1830). “Chinmei-yaki” refers to a type of ware created by Morishima Chinmei, who was born in Kongōzaka, Saikū Village, Taki District (present-day Kongōzaka, Meiwa Town). The fourth-generation head of the Morishima family, a lineage of local gentry (jizamurai), he was known as Kahei Chinmei and also used the art names Hōbunshō, Ōko, and Teisai. He was a seal engraver of considerable accomplishment. A man of wide-ranging talents, he was well versed in both Japanese and Chinese learning, skilled in calligraphy, painting, and poetry composition, and deeply knowledgeable in the art of flower arrangement. His ceramic production consisted primarily of low-fired wares, including tea utensils and small sculptural objects. Surviving works are extremely scarce and are highly prized. He passed away in the eighth month of Bunsei 13 (1830) at the age of seventy-seven. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50651998093559,"sku":"K1298","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-02-2816.27.08.jpg?v=1775008342"},{"product_id":"rare-buddhist-image-of-the-martial-god-shogun-jizo","title":"Rare Buddhist Image of the Martial God Shogun Jizo","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn image of Shogun Jizo (an armor-clad version of the compassionate deity Jizo Bosatsu, Kshitigarbha) astride a white horse mounted on a wooden dais enclosed in a black lacquered storage cabinet called a Zushi dating from the mid to later Edo period (late 18th to early 19th century). Extremely well crafted, the saintly figure appears to be carved from a single block of cypress.  Standard imagery of Jizo has the figure holding a sacred treasure in the left hand and a cane in the right hand. However, this fellow holds his staff in the left hand, the fingers of the right hand held in a mudra and thus is out of the ordinary. The billowing robes are embellished with round, arabesque and square scroll patterns in gold filigree. Despite his warriors garb, the face is serene and filled with compassion. The horse is carved wood covered in white gofun powdered shell with some black details. The tail appears to have been broken at the root and repaired once. It stands on a carved ground in greenish-blue pigments with gold highlights on a gilded stand. The Kohai halo is worked brass. The Zushi housing the figures is covered in black lacquer and measures 21.5 x 29 x 43.5 cm (8-1\/2 x 11-1\/2 x 17-1\/2 inches). The Figure astride its horse and stand is 35.5 cm (14 inches) tall and is in excellent condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShogun Jizo refers to a form of the Bodhisattva depicted clad in armor and mounted on horseback. According to tradition, Sakanoue no Tamuramaro the second Shogun of Japan serving the early 9th century Emperor Kanmu, prayed to this deity for victory during his eastern conquest of the Emishi, a people native to the north of Honshū, the Japanese main island. From the Kamakura period onward, Shogun Jizo was widely venerated by the warrior class as a deity to whom prayers for victory in battle were offered. Later historical figures such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and Ōishi Kuranosuke of the 47 Ronin are also said to have prayed for enduring martial fortune. In the present day, the figure is venerated as a bringer of victory and or fortune in endeavors such as work or examinations. Closely associated with Atago worship, the deity is also considered as a protector against fire. numerous stone images of this form remain, particularly in the Kansai region. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50715099594999,"sku":"K1335","price":6000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-04-0617.21.17.jpg?v=1782701308"},{"product_id":"basara-okimono-buddhist-sculpture-ー市川-鉄琅-伐折羅-大将像","title":"Basara Okimono Buddhist Sculpture ー市川 鉄琅 \"伐折羅 大将像\"","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn image of one of the 12 heavenly generals defending Buddhist law, Basara, by Ichikawa Tetsuro enclosed in the original signed wooden box titled Hongan Basara Taisho-zo. The fierce expression and muscular stature, along with the curvaceous pose is strongly reminiscent of Gandharan imagery. The figure is 42 cm (16-1\/2 inches) tall including the base, and the base dimensions are 16.5 x 21 cm (6-1\/2 x 8-1\/4 inches).  It is in fine original condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBasara, the Vajra Guardian, is one of the Twelve Divine Generals (Jūni Shinshō) who protect Yakushi Nyorai, the Medicine Buddha. Traditionally depicted as a fierce warrior clad in armor, Basara wields a weapon symbolizing the indestructible power of the Vajra, embodying both martial strength and spiritual vigilance. His dynamic posture, commanding presence, and fearsome expression are intended to repel malevolent forces and safeguard devotees, reflecting the guardian’s dual role as protector and emblem of unwavering resolve in the esoteric Buddhist tradition.\u0026lt;br\u0026gt;\u003cbr\u003eIchikawa Tetsuro, (1901-1987) born in Chōfu, Tokyo, was a distinguished carver and one of the last inheritors of the teppitsu engraving tradition. Originally named Torazō, he studied under Kanō Tessai, from whom he received the art name Tetsuryō, later changing it to Tetsurō at the age of twenty-two. Settling in Nara, his work evolved from youthful explorations in fine, detailed carving to mature expressions in the bold idiom of Nara ittōbori (single-blade carving). Celebrated for his mastery of teppitsu engraving, he freely inscribed images of flowers, birds, and landscapes onto tea utensils, a technique praised for bridging the sensibilities of painting and sculpture.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Ichikawa Tetsuro","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50716978610423,"sku":"K963","price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-09-1406.03.59.jpg?v=1777346244"},{"product_id":"antique-japanese-tea-pot-by-buddhist-nun-ー大田垣-蓮月","title":"Antique Japanese Tea Pot by Buddhist Nun ー大田垣 蓮月","description":"\u003cp\u003eGrass script poems are scrawled across the raw clay surface of this tea pot by Otagaki Rengetsu. Although we have not been able to decipher the first verse, the second poem is: \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInishie no aki ni　\/　Seeming to call out:\u003cbr\u003ekaere to maneku ran　\/　Past autumns return\u003cbr\u003earetaru yado no　\/　A neglected hut's\u003cbr\u003eshino no osusuki　\/　bamboo grasses\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe tea pot is 17 x 15.5 x 12.5 cm (roughly 7 x 6 x 5 inches) and is in excellent original condition, enclosed in an old wooden carrying box.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOtagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was born into a samurai family, she was adopted into the Otagaki family soon after birth, and served as a lady in waiting in Kameoka Castle in her formative years, where she received an education worthy of a Lady of means. Reputed to be incredibly beautiful, she was married and bore three children; however, her husband and all children died before she was twenty. Remarried she bore another daughter, however that child too perished and her husband died while she was just 32. Inconsolable, she cut off her hair to join the nunnery at Chion-in Temple, where she renounced the world and received the name Rengetsu (Lotus Moon). However, this was not the end, but only the beginning of a career as artist and poet which would propel her to the top of the 19th century Japan literati art world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Otagaki Rengetsu","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50716987457783,"sku":"K1064","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-11-1505.45.44.jpg?v=1777346553"},{"product_id":"refined-edo-p-buddhist-carving-seitakadoji","title":"Refined Edo p. Buddhist Carving, Seitakadoji","description":"\u003cp\u003eA sophisticated image of Seitaku Doji in typical black finish dating from the mid Edo period. Seitaka Dōji is a youthful attendant of Fudō Myōō, one of the central deities in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Carved from a It has been mounted on a modern lacquered wooden stand. The image itself is 35 cm (14 inches) tall and in excellent condition, the stand alone is 28.5 x 25.5 x 9 cm (11-1\/4 x 10 x 3-1\/2 inches). It has been fully cleaned by the reputable Matsuhisa Buddhist Carving Studio this year.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeitaka Dōji is typically depicted alongside his counterpart Kongara Dōji, flanking Fudō as part of a triad.　He is usually shown with a more refined, sometimes stern or intelligent expression and is understood to embody disciplined wisdom and clarity. In contrast to the fiercer or more wrathful aspects of Fudō Myōō, these attendants present a more accessible intermediary presence, guiding practitioners and symbolizing the harnessing of inner forces toward enlightenment. In iconography, Seitaka often appears slightly older or more composed than Kongara Dōji. Together, the two attendants represent complementary spiritual qualities—devotion and insight—supporting Fudō’s role as an immovable protector who cuts through ignorance and leads beings toward awakening.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50743821009143,"sku":"K1386","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-05-0612.29.31.jpg?v=1778047849"},{"product_id":"edo-p-japanese-wood-carving-karasu-tengu-god-of-war","title":"Edo p. Japanese Wood Carving, Karasu Tengu God of War","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe bird-faced Kami (god) Doryo Daigongen strikes a powerful pose astride the back of a mischievous white fox.  Doryo is purported to have been an ascetic monk who turned himself into a Tengu when he vowed on his deathbed to protect the Mountain Temple Complex of Daiyuzen in modern day Kanagawa prefecture.  This legend inspired a cult which rose to great prominence in the Edo period.  To this cult the figure was the ward of Budo (martial arts).  Originally this figure would have had feathered wings, which have been lost to time, and it is likely the soot encrusted figure was also once adorned in color and the fox was white, but that too has been all buried beneath centuries of soot from incense smoke.  It is 34 cm (13-1\/2 inches) tall.  There is some damage to his right hand, tip of the beak and foxes tail.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTengu are mountain and forest goblins with both Shinto and Buddhist attributes. The patron of martial arts, the bird-like Tengu is a skilled warrior and mischief maker, especially prone to playing tricks on arrogant and vainglorious men, and to punishing those who willfully misuse knowledge and authority to gain fame or position. In Buddhist lore they came to be protectors of temples and defenders of the Dharma (Buddhist Law).\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50790333677815,"sku":"K051","price":2200.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2024-02-2907.40.35copy.jpg?v=1779162241"},{"product_id":"19th-c-japanese-elephant-shaped-seiji-koro-incense-burner","title":"19th c. Japanese Elephant-Shaped Seiji Koro Incense Burner","description":"\u003cp\u003eCrackled pale blue-green covers this expertly crafted elephant censer dating from later Edo period Japan. It is 16 x 9.5 x 14.5 cm (6-1\/4 x 4 x 5-3\/4 inches) and in excellent condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe elephant is the vehicle for Fugen Bosatsu, the Bodhisattva of Virtue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso, in Buddhism the elephant is a symbol of mental strength. At the beginning of one's practice the uncontrolled mind is symbolized by a gray elephant who can run wild and destroy everything on his way.  Just as the rampaging elephant is controlled by unregulated passions, we often find ourselves ruled by our desires, fears, and resentments.  We think that suffering arises from what others do to us, or what happens to us; as self-perceived victims, we suffer. However, after taming one's mind, the mind which has been brought under control is symbolized by a white elephant strong and powerful, who can be directed wherever one wishes and destroy all the obstacles on his way. The Buddha taught that suffering arises internally, from our responses to events. To free ourselves from suffering, we subdue our minds, and with that tamed mind, we answer difficult circumstances without fear, desire, or rage, transforming adversity into growth. As such, the degree to which we experience unhappiness and pain depends on our internal responses, not on external conditions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50820118446327,"sku":"K1122","price":895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-12-2106.04.28.jpg?v=1780109243"},{"product_id":"unusual-antique-japanese-carved-wood-baku-dream-eater","title":"Unusual Antique Japanese Carved Wood Baku (Dream Eater)","description":"\u003cp\u003eA beautifully rendered image of the mythical Baku (Dream Eater) with its cub dating from 19th century Japan Buddhist carving traditions. It has darkened naturally with age, as evidenced by the light color of the wood beneath in comparison to the upper , more exposed surface. The carving is 10 x 14.5 x 13.5 cm (4 x 5-3\/4 x 5-1\/4 inches). The tip of the mother creatures right tusk has been broken off, otherwise they are in excellent condition. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Baku is a mythical creature in Japanese Buddhist and folkloric tradition best known as a devourer of bad dreams. Its image and meaning entered Japan through Chinese sources and were gradually naturalized into Japanese religious belief, visual culture, and everyday custom. The Baku derives from the Chinese Mo, a legendary animal described in classical texts as a composite beast—often said to have the trunk of an elephant, eyes of a rhinoceros, body of a bear, and claws of a tiger. In Japan, this hybrid form was retained but stylized, especially in Edo-period imagery. Over time, the Baku came to resemble an elephant-like creature, though its exact appearance was never fixed. In Japan, the Baku became closely associated with sleep, dreams, and spiritual protection. According to popular belief, a person troubled by a nightmare could invoke the Baku to consume it, thereby preventing misfortune or illness that might follow from bad dreams. This belief reflects a broader Buddhist and folk understanding of dreams as spiritually potent—capable of influencing fate, health, and moral balance. During the Edo period, when interest in yōkai imagery, dream interpretation, and talismanic objects flourished, the Baku became especially popular. Artists and craftsmen rendered it in playful, gentle, or even humorous forms, emphasizing its benevolent nature rather than fearsome power.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50860172771575,"sku":"K1123","price":750.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2025-12-2108.21.15.jpg?v=1781408851"},{"product_id":"zen-priest-takuhatsu-dry-lacquer-begging-bowl","title":"Zen Priest Takuhatsu Dry-Lacquer Begging Bowl","description":"\u003cp\u003eA begging bowl made in the light weight dry-lacquer technique covered in rich black lacquer adorned with a zen phrase in crimson characters enclosed in an age darkened Kiri-wood box annotated by a master of Zen or tea (priest or chajin, often both) and bearing their Kao signature. Later 19th to early 20th century, it is 14 cm (5-1\/2 inches) diameter, 8 cm (3-1\/4 inches) tall and in perfect condition. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50880086999287,"sku":"K1389","price":900.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-05-0417.04.09.jpg?v=1784536553"},{"product_id":"bishamonten-buddhist-sculpture","title":"Bishamonten Buddhist Sculpture","description":"\u003cp\u003eHere a figure in the guise of Bishamonten (the god of fortune in war and battles) standing on a demon holding his customary stupa and spear with a heavily bearded face and countenance much more akin to that of Shoki the Demon Queller with bulging Zogei eyes signed on back Suiko Saku.  Bishamonten, sculpted as a ferocious armed warrior, is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, Buddhist gods who watch over the four cardinal directions. He is on an elaborate stand dated on back in gold 1936 and signed Nanpodo Suiko Saku.  The entire is 56 cm (22 inches) tall, the base is 25 x 15 cm (8 x 6 inches) and all is in excellent condition. The figure comes enclosed in a period wooden storage box.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50908061434103,"sku":"K244","price":2400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-06-0214.56.01.jpg?v=1782958314"},{"product_id":"antique-japanese-root-wood-nyoi-scepter","title":"Antique, Japanese Root-wood Nyoi Scepter","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom natural wood a Nyoi scepter shaped into the form of a Reishi mushroom dating from the later 19th to early 20th centuries. It is 39.5 cm (16 inches) long and in excellent condition.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNyoi (Chinese Ruyi) is a ceremonial scepter or talisman used by and seen in Buddhist and Daoist art a cultural references.  It likely originated from Sanskrit Anuruddha \"a ceremonial scepter\" used by Buddhist monks in India, who later brought the concept to China where it became a symbol of authority.  There it blended with the back-scratcher, and there is an interesting story behind that.  As a Buddhist monk was not meant to marry, he would forsake having children. The Back Scratcher (Mago-no-Te) literally translates as the “Hand of the Grandchild”.  As a monk would have no grandchildren, thus no one to scratch his back or ease his old age, the spirits of those that were not born would be embodied in the scepter.  It is one of the most precious objects to a priest.  It is often seen also with literati and nobles who held Nyoi during social occasions, and there seems no doubt that the original function was that of a scepter qualifying the holder to \"take the floor, similar to the fly whisk or fan.  In art they often appear as attributes of Buddhist saints and Daoist immortals.  Although Chinese Ruyi are often of precious materials such as jade, precious metals and or are jewel encrusted, the Japanese emphasis on frugality and self-effacement promotes an aesthetic of simple, unadorned natural objects, often of wood or bamboo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Polypore mushroom family is associated in Japanese scholarly art with the Reishi mushroom. The Reishi (Chinese Lingzhi), is the ancient \"mushroom of immortality\", revered for over 2,000 years.  In the poetry of Ban Gu of the 1st century CE is an ode dedicated to Lingzhi. Taoist temples were called \"the abode of mushrooms\" and according to their mystical teachings, the use of a concentrated decoction of spirits mushroom gave followers the opportunity to see spirits or become spirits themselves by receiving the magical energy of the immortals who lived in the heavenly \"mushroom fields\". The Divine Farmer's Classic of Pharmaceutics of the 3rd century CE classifies zhi into six categories, each of which is believed to benefit the qi, or \"life force\", in a different part of the body. In traditional art, sages, immortals and eemperors are depicted holding reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), a signal of how revered this mushroom has been in East Asian culture. In traditional Chinese Medicine physicians adopted the phrase “the mushroom of immortality” to describe the all-encompassing health support that they deemed reishi could provide. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50916205986039,"sku":"SA064","price":1250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-01-2714.31.07.jpg?v=1783216713"},{"product_id":"antique-japanese-hand-forged-iron-votive-candle-stand","title":"Antique Japanese Hand Forged Iron Votive Candle stand","description":"\u003cp\u003eA peaked iron votive candle stand for offering candles in a shrine or temple dating from the later Edo period, 18th to 19th century. It is 31 x 19 x 26 cm (12-1\/4 x 7-3\/4 x 10-1\/4 inches) and is in excellent condition. The shape is likely to represent a Hoju, or burning Jewel representing wisdom, one of the sacred images common in Japanese religious iconography.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50916225548535,"sku":"K1416","price":450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-05-1812.51.37.jpg?v=1785737417"},{"product_id":"beautiful-antique-japanese-lotus-pedestal-koro-incense-burner","title":"Beautiful Antique Japanese Lotus Pedestal Koro Incense Burner","description":"\u003cp\u003eA low-fired ceramic urn  formed in the shape of a Buddhist lotus stand decorated with fine polychrome designs in red, blue, green and gold. The basin would have been filled with ash and incense burnt within. A brass lid has been added later, and I personally believe it is not necessary to the work but is included. There is a seal and inscription carved into the base, but it is obscured by glaze and we have been unable to decipher it. It is 17 cm (7 inches) diameter, 15 cm (6 inches) tall. There are chips in the paint on some of the flower petal tips, still is in overall very nice condition, weathered enough to show time and use.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Kura Monzen Gallery","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50916591042807,"sku":"K1483","price":495.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/files\/2026-06-1216.52.47.jpg?v=1786241798"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0658\/7472\/3063\/collections\/2025-01-2008.56.04copy.jpg?v=1766739758","url":"https:\/\/kuramonzen.com\/collections\/religious-art.oembed?page=2","provider":"Kura Monzen Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}