Japan, an unusually tall and handsome antique handcrafted cast bronze lantern in a pagoda form- an unusual one- with fine “birds of paradise” panels on all sides , a dragon finial and dragon protubrances, engraved railing details, and including its original round bottom access.- over all fine craftsmanship.

This particular lantern was authentically used in a temple

This is the first old example in this above average larger size and style we have seen in many years of dealing with fine Japanese lanterns and garden ornaments. Easy round twist off bottom access allows insertion of your favorite LED or wax candle.
Period: Taisho period, 1920.

Quality: Crafted from heavy bronze with meticulous details by Japanese specialized artisans over 100 years ago.

Good garden candidate- this is an ideal accent with strong presence and scale for a small outdoor or indoor Zen garden.

Dimensions: 15.5 inches tall to top of loop and 10 inches diameter

Only one.

Provenance: Old Japanese Southern collection.

Many of our customers place oil candles inside the main section making a romantic and enjoyable decorative accent for entertaining friends and family. It’s a perfect choice for your indoor or outdoor garden space.

Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our Asian works of art come with our Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee.

We have been dealing in fine authentic Japanese antiques including screens, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for many years. Our president personally travels to Japan each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique to ensure its old age, authenticity, and quality condition.

History of Japanese lanterns:
In Japan a toro (lantern) is a traditional lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Like many other elements of Japanese traditional architecture, it originated in China. In Japan, to¯ro¯ were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths and lighted lanterns were then considered an offering. In its complete, original form the lantern represents five elements of Buddhist cosmology: Bottom touching the ground, represents chi, the earth, the next section represents sui, or water, ka or fire, is represented by the section encasing the lantern’s light or flame, while fu¯ (air) and ku¯ (void or spirit) are represented by the last two sections, top-most and pointing towards the sky. These last two sections express the IDEA that after death our physical bodies will go back to their original, elemental form.
Yukimidoro or legged lanterns have as a base not a post but curved legs and a wide umbrella with a finial. Relatively low, they are used exclusively in gardens and the traditional placement is near water. The umbrella can be round or have from three to eight sides, while the fire box is usually hexagonal. “Yu” loosley translated means water reflection. It was probably developed during the Momoyama period, but the oldest extant examples, found at the Katsura Villa in Kyoto, go back only to the early Edo period (17th century).