From our recent Japanese New Acquisitions Travels

This is a quite old and seldom seen oval form hand cast hanging pottery lantern that may be suspended in your favorite indoor or outdoor space.

Included is the original round burner which we were fortunate to obtain with this great old work of art.

Heavily hand formed, this is the first example of this large oval form style we have seen in over fifteen years of dealing with fine Japanese garden ornaments.

It was crafted some 110 years ago at the Shino Kiln.

Handsome glazing.

Dimensions: 16 inches tall with hanger and 12 inches diameter- a hefty example

Period: Taisho period (1912-1926).

Quality: hand crafted pottery

Good garden candidate- this is an ideal accent size for a small outdoor or indoor Zen garden.

Only one.

Provenance: Old Japanese Takayama collection.

History of Japanese lanterns:
In Japan a to¯ro¯ (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.
Yukimi-do¯ro¯ (?????) 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).

Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity. All our Asian works of art are accompanied by our lifetime guarantee of authenticity.

We have been dealing in authentic Japanese and Chinese Fine art, antiquities, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for 25 years. The president personally travels to Japan 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 and Maine in large containers. This method keeps shipping costs low and enables us to offer them to you at reasonable prices. We carefully pack and ship to clients all-over the USA and at reasonable shipping costs.”
 
We are members of the North American Japanese Garden Association (NAJGA) specializing for ten years now in old and authentic Japanese stone garden ornaments.