SHOGUN'S GALLERY
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Click on one of the categories to the left to browse a selection of some of our beautiful Japanese and Chinese antiques, or email us with specific requests.

With over 3,000 items in our inventory and new containers from China and Japan arriving every few months, Shogun's Gallery has something for just about every taste and budget.  Our goal is personal service, so we don't have a "shopping cart" connected to our site right now.  Just email or call us and we will assist you in finding just the item you are looking for, and at the same time arranging for payment and shipping. The pieces at Shogun's are restored - not refinished - promoting authenticity and paying homage to the original craftsmen.  While a purist when it comes to restoration, Jim does not discourage mixing the very distinct Japanese and Chinese furniture styles with each other and with contemporary and other styles of furnishings and decor.

Our Japanese collection includes Edo and Meiji period tansu chests of every size and configuration, bronze hibachi, usubata, bamboo ikebana baskets, imari and other ceramic ware, lacquer ware, kimono, obi sash, woodblock prints, iron teapots, handcrafted mingei items and many other accessory pieces.

When thinking about identifying antique Japanese furniture, it is helpful to imagine sitting on a two and a half-inch thick rice mat known as a tatami.  From this low-seated position most daily activities occur - eating, writing and grooming.  As a result, tables are low (12-13 inches) and chests, known as tansu, sit directly on the floor.  

Our Chinese collection includes Qing Dynasty furniture, including altar, tea, mah jong and side tables, wardrobes, beds, benches, stools and more.  Our ceramic plates and bowls, wedding baskets, architectural carvings, stone statues and unusual accent pieces will inspire your imagination.

In contrast to the utility and asymmetry of the Japanese pieces, Chinese furnishings from this time period are both decorative and symmetrical.  Unlike the floor-oriented designs of the Japanese, Chinese furnishings are higher off the ground, reflecting their use of pounded earth or stone floors which were able to support heavy legged items.  The Chinese used chairs and thus their tables, chests and desks were higher than those of the Japanese.

Furniture in China was produced primarily for the upper class with an emphasis on intricate craftsmanship, artistry and decoration.  Carvings, mitered tenons and lacquer are examples of ways in which decoration was used to personalize the Chinese pieces.  In Japan, the furniture was made to serve a larger middle class which made the use of lap joints and straight lines a more practical approach.  However, in both countries the rarity of the wood distinguished the value of the furniture.

Unlike the indigenous wood (elm, cedar, cypress) used in most Japanese furniture, the Chinese preferred the use of dark exotic hardwoods from southern China as well as Burma, Thailand and Indonesia.  Although the Japanese pieces were primarily unfinished, the Chinese would apply black lacquer to indigenous elm wood in an effort to mimic the imported wood they preferred.  Red lacquer was also commonly applied to symbolize joy and prosperity.

In bringing Japanese and Chinese antique furnishings to Portland, we have found a multitude of everyday uses for these unique pieces of history.  A Chinese wardrobe can serve as an artistic focal point in a room while doubling as a television or stereo cabinet.  A Japanese hibachi can be turned into a coffee table and a kimono becomes wall art.  Because of the wide range of sizes and styles of tansu the uses are seemingly endless - from end table to desk organizer to bookcase.    

Shying away from reproductions, our furnishings average 120 years old.  The pieces - from sword chests to ginger jars - provide a window into Japanese and Chinese culture and history, while at the same time bringing with them the potential to serve many modern functions in a unique and beautiful way.

Page Updated 12/28/2005

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Visit us at  1111 NW 23rd Ave Portland, OR 97210
503-224-0328
Open Every Day - Monday to Saturday 11am to 6pm, Sunday Noon to 5pm
For a map to our store click here  

Map of 1111 Nw 23rd Ave
Portland, OR 97210-2903

© 2005 by Shogun's Gallery

tansu japanese furniture futon tansu wardrobe chinese chair table desk buddhist kodansu mizuya traditional
suzuribako shogun shogun's shoguns gallery portland print mirror shrine shinto imari ikebana bronze  altar hibachi
chadansu basket coffee doll fabric funadansu ship sword go koto shamisen kimono step katana sake cabinet ranma