Yamabushi Antiques

Essentially we are 3 collectors who have an academic interest in Japanese samurai arts. Our basic contention is that knowledge as well as a collection is meant to be shared. On this premise, we decided to pool resources and start this website. Andy is the armor guy and the accredited academic, Henry is primarily a kinko collector, while I have a penchant for early tosogu.

Our primary interests as collectors of Japanese antiquities is in items that represent the aesthetic, culture and technology of Japan during the long period when it was engulfed in a state of almost perpetual warfare prior to unification under the Tokugawa shogunate in the early 17th century. Therefore, you may notice a strong representation of relatively early armors, tsuba, swords and other items in our collection. Such items represent the more functional, frugal and subtle tastes of fighting samurai, rather than the rich, flamboyant tastes of merchant dominated Edo period Japan.

Such early pieces represent a minute subset of the available samurai art, and are thus very difficult to obtain. One way that we are able to offer such pieces is through many years of experience, study, independent research and exposure to some of the top collections, both private and public, in Japan and throughout the world. We spend a considerable amount of time and energy in locating and identifying such items, and making them available to our clients.

We sincerely hope you enjoy this site as a place to learn and engage in dialogue, so we encourage your feedback.