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This finely crafted tsuba (sword guard) features a delicate design of peony blossoms and butterflies, symbols of beauty, prosperity, and transformation in Japanese art. The flowers and insects are executed in soft metal inlays of gold and copper, standing in vivid contrast to the dark iron ground with gilded edge. Such decorative sword fittings not only protected the hand but also reflected the owner’s taste and refinement, elevating the sword into a personal work of art. This example reflects the 18th-century Edo period tradition of combining martial function with sophisticated ornament.. Image and description courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Open Access).
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This iron tsuba (sword guard) features an elegant openwork (sukashi) design of plum blossoms, myōga sprouts, and clover. The plum blossom (ume), one of the earliest flowers of spring, symbolizes renewal and endurance, while myōga, a type of ginger, was linked to protection and good fortune. Clover adds a motif of natural abundance. Crafted in the 16th century, this tsuba reflects the Momoyama-period taste for symbolic and auspicious designs, transforming a functional sword fitting into an expression of refinement and status
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A set of opium tools, consisting of a lamp tweezers, needle, cleaning tool, lamp, container box & tray in brass.
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Samurai Armor (Yoroi), Edo Period (1603–1868) — Life-Size, Genuine A complete Japanese antique suit of armor comprising a bold crested kabuto helmet with red lacquer menpō (mask), lamellar dō cuirass laced in black and gold silk, and articulated sode (shoulders), kote (arms), kusazuri (skirt), haidate (thighs), and suneate (shins). Lacquered iron and leather elements blend protection with display, the fierce mask and gilded details signaling rank. Produced in the Tokugawa Edo period, when armor also served ceremonial and status roles, this life-size yoroi showcases the craftsmanship and symbolism of the samurai elite—both an object of war and a work of art.
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A 20th century opium Brass container. This was used to store opium on the tray. A knife would cut a piece to prepare it.
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This example comes from the armory of Date Yoshimura (1703–1746), daimyo (lord) of Sendai. The helmet bowl, signed Saotome Iye[tada?], dates from the sixteenth century; the remainder of the armor was constructed in the eighteenth century. The breastplate is inscribed inside with the armorer's name, Myōchin Munesuke (1688–1735). The embossed ornament on the solid iron plates is characteristic of the Myōchin school. Image and description courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Open Access).
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A nice example of a Chinese blue and white porcelain cup and saucer smoking water pipe. Ruminants of brown filtered water remain on rim. Used for tobacco and perhaps marijuana, opium smoking was less likely as a flame from match or early lighter would not produce enough heat to melt an opium pellet. Measures approximately 3 inches tall ,5 inches wide.
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A finely crafted porcelain jar, lavishly decorated in rich underglaze cobalt blue on a brilliant white ground, exemplifying the refinement of Qing dynasty porcelain. The body depicts a dramatic pair of five-clawed imperial dragons, symbols of the emperor’s authority, chasing flaming pearls among swirling clouds, embodying vigor, wisdom, and cosmic power. Lotus petal bands encircle both the collar and the base, lending balance and elegance to the composition. The domed lid continues the theme, with additional dragons in spirited pursuit, bordered by a ruyi-style lotus petal motif and surmounted with a lotus bud finial. Around the rim, an elaborate scrolling foliate design enclosed by double underglaze blue lines further enhances the artistry. Created during the Qing dynasty, 18th to early 19th century, such jars were produced at Jingdezhen, the great imperial kiln center, and served as both functional storage vessels and prestigious symbols of wealth, artistry, and imperial power.
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This is a early example of an opium brass ash "dross" collector. These were used by scraping the opium damper and the tray for ash or opium pieces. It was collected and used again. 3 inches long 2 wide.
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Medieval Samurai Armor (Yoroi), Ashikaga Period This rare yoroi exemplifies the armor of mounted samurai. Its design features a wrapping cuirass with a side panel (waidate) and a four-sided skirt, developed between the tenth and fourteenth centuries to provide mobility and protection. Originally laced in white silk with rainbow-colored accents, it symbolized fortune and the fleeting nature of life. The breastplate depicts Fudō Myō-ō, the Buddhist deity of calm strength, embodying the warrior’s ideal of inner resolve. Tradition links this armor to Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), founder of the Ashikaga shogunate, who is said to have donated it to Shinomura Hachimangū shrine near Kyoto. From the Open Access Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public Domain). Shown for research and educational purposes only.
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19th century Chinese ceramic opium water pipe. Blue and white figures decorate it.
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Fudō Myōō, the Immovable Wisdom King (Achala Vidyaraja) Artist/Workshop: Kaikei, early 13th century, Kamakura period Description: Fudō Myōō is worshipped as a wrathful avatar of Dainichi, the cosmic Buddha at the center of the Buddhist universe. A tenacious protector of Buddhist teachings, he is shown armed with a lasso and sword to subdue negative forces. In keeping with scriptural descriptions, Kaikei’s workshop portrays Fudō with a menacing expression, biting his lower lip, hair bound but falling over his left shoulder. Materials & Dimensions: Wood with polychromy; approx. [insert exact height × width × depth from Met] Provenance / Period: Japan, Kamakura period, early 13th century Image Rights: Public Domain (Open Access) – Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
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An Opium Scraper and Ash Collector Tool. These were used to clean the damper bowl by scraping and and collecting and ash or pieces. 4 inches long
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A 19th or early 20 century Chinese porcelain opium smoking waterpipe vase. 11 inches in diameter with three wooden pipe stems. Blue and white design with metal fittings adorned to the pipe. There is controversy if these pipes were used to really smoke opium. Tobacco or marijuana use was probably more likely.
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Old Nepalese Shaman Hat. Made with porcupine quills, snail shell, and cloth. 100 to 200 years old.
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An exquisitely carved Tibetan Tantric Carved Conch Shell Trumpet depicting Vajrabhairava. Vajrabhairava is a yidam, a deity that presides over the great tantras of the highest yoga. Like Yamantaka, he is a destroyer of death itself and protector. Measures Length; 18cm Width: 11cm
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Nice example of a 19th to early 20th Century Opium Scissors. These were used to trim the wick of the opium oil lamp. Black soot on tips still remains.
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A 19th Century Opium Bone Water Pipe. Brass fittings, with Chinese carvings. A nice rare example of a bone pipe.
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This rare 16th-century helmet (zukinnari kabuto) is fashioned in the shape of a cloth cap and richly decorated with gilt surface and dramatic flame motifs. At the crest sits a figure of Fudō Myō-ō, the Buddhist deity of immovable calm and inner strength, surrounded by red lacquered flames. Such imagery symbolized spiritual power and fierce protection in battle. Helmets of this type were both protective armor and powerful statements of identity on the battlefield. From the Open Access Collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Public Domain). Shown for research and educational purposes only.
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Helmet signed by Bamen Tomotsugu, Japan, 18th century. After Tokugawa Ieyasu’s victory at Sekigahara in 1600 unified Japan, peace reduced the demand for armor. By the late 17th century, only high-ranking samurai and daimyō could commission new suits. This example was made by Tomotsugu, the last great master of the Bamen School, renowned for helmet bowls of multiple iron plates and fine craftsmanship. The cuirass follows the byō-toji okegawa-dō style, with ornamental rivets. Crests of three whirling commas (tomoe), linked to the Okabe family of Kishiwada, adorn the armor. Unusually, the skirt’s lacings shift in color around the torso—white, red, yellow-green, black—rather than grading vertically, with matching red and white accents on the helmet and guards.
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This rare kawari-kabuto (eccentric helmet) reflects the creativity of the late Sengoku and early Edo periods, when samurai used bold helmet designs as battlefield identifiers and symbols of status. Forged from a single sheet of iron (ichimai-uchidashi), the cranial section forms a crouching rabbit, contrasted with a four-tier neck guard (shikoro)—three rows lacquered red, the lowest covered in gilded leather. The ear guards (fukigaeshi) are shaped as waves, alluding to the Noh play Chikubushima, where the “moon rabbit sports upon the waves.” Such motifs conveyed both cultural refinement and martial presence, marking the wearer as an educated, distinguished warrior. Public Domain – Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Open Access).
For Sale $0
Rare early opium tweezers. These were used to pull or move the opium oil lamp wick that would adjust the flame. 3 inches long.
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Original & Historic Antique Japanese Tanto (短刀), Late Edo Period. A finely mounted tanto dagger featuring complete koshirae fittings with menuki set, tsuba, and seppa spacers. The lacquered saya (scabbard) complements a superbly polished blade with a frosty, hand-forged temper line (hamon) visible to the very tip (kissaki). The blade measures 9 5/8 inches, 13 1/2 inches from tip to tang, unsigned (mumei). Decorative silvered habaki (removable) with tsuka 14 7/8 inches; overall length 16 1/4 inches in the saya. A remarkable Late Edo example of traditional Japanese craftsmanship.