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Seller's Notes:For many years, I lived and worked in Japan, where I collected a few select antiques, including this beautiful koto. This koto has a sticker inside (shown in photo) for a shop that existed in a town which no longer exists -- The town was replaced by Kobe City in 1889. That means this koto is at least 130 years old. It also appears to have been hand-carved from a single piece of wood, as I cannot detect seams anywhere, and the inside that isn't been smoothed down shows hand scrape marks in the wood. The music of the koto lies at the heart of Japanese culture; in fact, the koto is the national instrument of Japan. The koto has 13 strings strung over 13 movable bridges along the width of the instrument. This unique piece has hung on my walls or over my fireplace, or stood unobtrusively in the corners of my living room and dining room. This koto has been a gracious and interesting part of my decor, where it almost always sparks questions from guests, who inquire about its history and admire its characteristically-Asian sound. Now that I am retiring and moving to a small apartment, I must part with this piece. The buyer should be aware that there is overall wear due to age. One of the wooden bridges is missing and was replaced with a plastic one. All strings are intact.

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