From our recent Japanese Acquisitions Travels

An appealing composition- the first we have seen

Japanese fine large antique hand cast bronze “Organic Gourd” form lantern with fine hand crafted sinuous details in the Art Nouveau taste- one of the best, just the way we like to find them.

Beautiful details from the early Taisho period- one of the finest lanterns we have handled in over ten years.

Free form top loop, vine cast tapered roof, tree branch side grills, and three elegant trip feet round out this amazing lantern master piece. A removable round bottom plug allows insertion of wax or oil candles.

May be suspended from sturdy loop handle or placed on any surface as it includes heavy cast feet.

Fine quality with original and handsome patina.

The striking and well proportioned old bronze is fashioned in solid bronze as roof kasa and light chamber or base Hibukuro or kiso all with patina from good age.

Notice the lovely bronze roof detail and detailed panel grill sides – superior intricately cast details.

Dimensions: 17 inches tall and 10 inches diameter, substantial

Provenance: Old Kyoto garden

Hard to find this quality today for the discerning garden or sculpture collection

Lifetime guarantee of authenticity. We are members of NAJGA- North American Japanese Garden Association.

About Japanese lanterns.

Japan’s stone lantern tradition is a concept that was imported from India and has existed in Japanese temples and gardens since the 7th century.

Japan’s lantern tradition was originally conceived as entrance lighting and guardians to temples and pagodas and when lit served as an offering to Buddha. Some of the earliest stone lanterns were carved with Buddhist images on the firebox and usually had compartments for an oil lamp or candle. Later on, they became more secular in nature, and their use evolved as functional and decorative elements in traditional Japanese tea gardens where they served as a spiritual source of light for evening tea ceremonies. Often carved from granite stone, today’s vintage survivors serve as fashionable aesthetic elements in modern day Japanese and Asian inspired gardens. Today, during festivals and ceremonies, rice paper is often cut to fit stone lantern windows to increase reflection of candles placed inside them. Soon these paper lenses disappear and for one special evening and event, the glow is surreal.

We have been dealing in authentic Japanese, Chinese, European, and Asian Fine art, antiquities, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for 25 years. Our president personally travels to Japan, Europe and China each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique work of art to ensure its old age, authenticity and quality condition. After accumulating a group, they are imported to Vermont in large containers. This method keeps shipping costs low and enables us to offer them to you at reasonable prices. We ship internationally.