Chinese Antique Collection at INSIDE MY GLASS DOORS
From October 30 to November 8, seya. brings a selection of Chinese antiques to INSIDE MY GLASS DOORS in Osaka, presented along side the 26AW Tea Horse Road collection.
Gathered during travels through Yunnan, these functional wood carvings are deeply rooted in everyday life.
Yunnan’s Tea Horse Road was the destination of our journey for the 26AW collection. It was a trade route connecting the tea-producing regions of Yunnan with Tibet: sturdy Tibetans horses were traded with Chinese tea.
We visited the region twice: first on a research trip before the design of our collection, and later on a photography trip after its completion. We travelled through major towns such as Dali, Lijiang and Xizhou, as well as the many places in between.
There, we encountered for the first time a culture shaped by Taoism, and the quiet aesthetic that comes out of that philosophy. We were deeply captivated by its subtle beauty.
Jianchuan was on the way of our road trip, it is a place home to a great number of artisans practising traditional crafts such as wood carving and ceramics.
From the outside, it was impossible to tell that this old house was a shop. Drawn to its gate, painted with a traditional shanshui drawings, we peeped inside to discover a traditional Bai Courtyard where bonsai, trees, flowers, and a tea room set within the garden.
A child came out and invited us in. It turned out to be Tianying, the antique shop recommended to us by the black pottery atelier across the street.
The owner, Jiang Guihua, is mainly a woodcarving artist. What began as a personal passion for collecting antiques eventually led him to open his own home as a shop.
He does not sell online. He enjoys talking with visitors and watching them gradually develop an affection for the objects.
Once, a wealthy customer offered to buy all the decorative roof sculptures known as mao wa (cat tiles) in the shop, but he refused. He would feel sad to see all these beloved objects suddenly disappear, taken away by a wealthy buyer.
This is not a big city, and not many people come here. But those who do take their time choosing something to buy. That makes him happy.
“Xi shui chang liu (细⽔⻓流) is my philosophy,” he says. “A gentle stream that flows on and on.” A reminder that the things that last are built little by little, over time.
Dates:
October 30 （Fri)- November 8（Sun) 2026
Venue :
INSIDE MY GLASS DOORS / IMGD PUNCTUM
203 Donike Texitile Building, 3-1-16 Kyutaromachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Japan
Hours:
12:00-20:00
@insidemyglassdoors @imgd_puncutm
Courtesy of INSIDE MY GLASS DOORS
« Looking at these old Chinese antiques, we could feel the time they have lived through and the beauty they have acquired along the way. From intricate wood carvings to everyday objects, each piece offers a glimpse into the daily lives, traditions and culture of the people who made and used them. Today, as civilisation advances and everything becomes more convenient, we found ourselves wondering: what does it really mean to live well?
We hope you enjoy the space where seya.’s collection and these Chinese antiques come together, blending and overlapping in unexpected ways. »
Antique collection at INSIDE MY GLASS DOORS
Pictures by Shinya Fujita