A Most Beautiful Late Edo Japanese Gilt Lacquer Wooden Samurai Sword and Samurai Armour Folding Display Stand. Decorated with A Hand Painted White Crane Flying Over A Bamboo Grove. For Ancestral Display of Samurai and Bushido Artifacts.

A folding wood and hand painted lacquer sword rack display stand, for the display of three samurai swords and for the area beneath for the decoration of samurai artefacts such as sword fittngs, mempo, abumi, war fans, or, such as beautiful Japanese tea ceremony pieces, early iron water vessels, and tea bowls etc.

See a selection of items shown for illustrative purposes. It may once have also displayed hand painted small portraits of ancestral samurai to honour their past samurai family.

Signed by the artist on both the obverse and reverse side. The hand painted cranes and bamboo are on fine gold leaf covered panels, and show considerable age wear, but this enhances its air of contrived antiquity for the display of early samurai swords, weaponry and artefacts

It has long been the tradition of areas of Japanese art to make for display late Edo pieces, in the much earlier ancient forms and styles. Such as, for example, russetted Higo style iron sword mounts. Actually made in the 18th century, but made to appear as they were ancient iron pieces from many centuries before. In many respects as an homage to much revered ancient Japanese art forms

Naturally it has natural age wear, yet it adds to its overall impression of a function yet beautiful interior display temple for all the elements of Bushido and the samurai arts.

The Crane and Bamboo in Japanese Art. While the crane features heavily in stories of gratitude and supernatural love, the bamboo grove serves as the sacred, serene backdrop in both folklore and classical painting.In traditional Japanese art, the crane and bamboo often appear together to represent resilience, purity, and longevity. Because both bamboo and cranes can endure harsh winter conditions while maintaining their grace, they are considered symbols of perseverance. The bamboo's flexibility and the crane's nobility form a perfect pairing in classical hanging scrolls, such as the famous Edo-period painting Pair of Cranes in Bamboo Grove by Tanomura Chikuden

One very rarely ever see them outside of Japan as their transportation back to England, in the 19th century, using sailing and early steamships may well have been cumbersome and not to mention expensive.

Code: 24455