Catalog (62)

Monkey seated on a rectangular base, the hands forming the gassho adoration mudra, sculpted figurally from sandstone. Meiji Era ca. 1900. Very good condition, with only very minor old loss.

Height, including base: 13 cm
Width of base: 9.5 cm
Depth of base: 7.5 cm
Packaged weight: 2 kg

A small-scale, somewhat sheepish depiction of Sarugami (lit. monkey god), a popular Shinto deity associated with safe and easy childbirth. Uncommon.

Standing Jizo Bosatsu, the hands holding a long-stemmed lotus bud, sculpted figurally from a gray-hued volcanic stone. Clearly dated on the backside to the seventh year of the Shotoku Era (1717), mid-Edo Period. Excellent condition, with only very minor old loss and scant dried-lichen accumulation.

Height: 49 cm
Width: 20 cm
Depth: 16.5 cm
Packaged weight: 17 kg

Standing Jizo Bosatsu, the right hand holding a shakujo (crozier) and the left a hoju (sacred jewel), sculpted in semi-relief from sandstone. Late-Edo Period ca. 1850. Very good condition, with very minor old loss and superficial cracks, which show no signs of compromising the piece's structural integrity.

Height: 50 cm
Width: 22 cm
Depth: 15 cm
Packaged weight: 20 kg

Executed with a composite technique of relief-sculpting and line engraving, a charmingly stylized Jizo stone. Uncommon.

Standing Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, the right hand forming the semui-in mudra of fearlessness and the left holding a short-stemmed lotus bud, sculpted in relief from a brown-hued sandstone. Mid-Edo Period ca. 1700. Old loss and softening of the lines and contours, with desirable patination overall.

Height: 52 cm
Width: 28 cm
Depth: 18 cm
Packaged weight: 35 kg.

An atmospheric piece, suitable for either indoor or outdoor display.

Standing Raigo Seishi Bosatsu, the hands forming the gassho mudra of adoration, yosegi-zukuri (joined wood-block) construction with lacquer and gilt finish, the eyes of inset rock crystal, displayed on a custom-made rectangular lacquer-wood stand. The sculpture early-Edo Period ca. 1650 and the lacquer-wood display stand of recent manufacture. Old loss, with desirable black-soot patination overall.

Overall height, including display stand: 32.5 cm
Height of sculpture, including mandorla and lotiform dais: 28.5 cm
Height of Seishi figure only: 24.5 cm
Width of display stand: 17 cm
Depth: 12 cm
Height: 4 cm

Standing Jizo Bosatsu with hands forming the gassho mudra of adoration, figurally sculpted from a brown-hued igneous stone. Early- to mid-Edo Period ca. 1675. Old loss and desirable patination, with softening of the lines and contours overall.

Height: 32.5 cm
Width: 13 cm
Depth: 12 cm
Packaged weight: 9 kg

Gorinto (five-tiered stupa) sculpted in one piece from a brown igneous stone. Momoyama/early-Edo Period ca. 1600. Desirable old loss and a vertically aligned natural fissure, which poses no threat to the piece's structural integrity.

Height: 30.5 cm
Width: 12 cm
Depth: 12 cm
Packaged weight: 9 kg.

The gorinto is a uniquely Japanese style of stupa comprising five geometric forms, which correspond (from bottom) to earth, water, fire, wind, and ethereal space. The Japanese Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism views the gorinto as a symbol of Dai-Nichi Buddha, who, underlying all things, manifests himself in the five elements making up the physical world.

A relatively small-scale and charmingly rough-hewn example showing good age.

Gorinto (5-tiered stupa) sculpted in four parts from a gray-hued igneous stone. Late-Muromachi Period ca. 1500. Excellent condition, with only very minor old loss and desirable lichen accumulation overall.

Height: 59 cm
Width: 24 cm
Depth: 24 cm
Packaged weight: 42 kg.

The gorinto is a distinctively Japanese style of stupa comprising five geometric forms. The Japanese Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism views the gorinto as a symbol of Dai-Nichi Buddha, who, underlying all things, manifests himself in the five elements making up the physical world.

Gorinto sculpted in four parts, the uppermost part comprising two of the five geometric forms, are far more uncommon than gorinto sculpted from a single stone. This is a notably handsome Muromachi-Period example, all of a piece and showing pleasing formal balance.

Standing Sho-Kannon Bosatsu, the hands holding a long-stemmed lotus bud, sculpted in relief from tuff, an igneous stone composed primarily of volcanic ash. Mid- to late-Edo Period ca. 1800. Very minor old loss. Variegated lichen accumulation.

Height: 51 cm
Width: 27 cm
Depth: 23 cm
Packaged weight: 36 kg

Gorinto (5-tier pagoda) sculpted in four parts from a brick-hued sedimentary stone. Nanbokucho~Muromachi Period ca. 1400. Very minor old loss, with grayish patination overall as well as desirable lichen accumulation.

Height: 67 cm
Width: 24 cm
Depth: 24 cm
Packaged weight: 58 kg.

The gorinto is a distinctively Japanese style of pagoda comprising five geometric forms. The Japanese Shingon sect of esoteric Buddhism views the gorinto as a symbol of Dai-Nichi Buddha, who, underlying all things, manifests himself in the five elements making up the physical world.

Gorinto sculpted in four parts, the uppermost part comprising two of the five geometric forms, are far more uncommon than gorinto sculpted from a single stone. This is a notably handsome Nanbokucho or early-Muromachi-Period example, all of a piece and showing pleasing formal balance.

Standing Jizo Bosatsu, the hands forming the gassho adoration mudra, sculpted in relief from tuff, an igneous stone composed primarily of volcanic ash. Clearly dated to the 10th year of the Kyoho Era (1725), mid-Edo Period. Minor old loss. Variegated lichen accumulation.

Height: 53 cm
Width: 31 cm
Depth: 18 cm
Packaged weight: 35 kg

Seated Buddha, a branch-like nyoi (scepter) held in both hands, sculpted in relief from a brown igneous stone. Late-Muromachi Period ca. 1550. Minor old loss, with overall softening of the lines and contours.

Height: 23 cm
Width: 23 cm
Depth: 18 cm
Packaged weight: 23 kg

Standing Amida Nyorai, Buddha of the Western Paradise, the hands forming the raigo-in mudra, sculpted in shallow relief from an iron-rich granite. Late-Muromachi Period~Momoyama Period ca. 1575. Minor old loss and overall softening of the lines and contours.

Height: 72 cm
Width: 26 cm
Depth: 14 cm
Packaged weight: 37 kg

A classic pre-Edo Amida stone boasting excellent size and significant age, the bottom surface sculpted in a tapered style to facilitate insertion directly into the soil. Uncommon.

Standing garden lantern sculpted in three parts from an iron-rich granite, featuring a standing deer sculpted in relief on the side of the cylindrical lantern box.

Height: approx 110 cm.

An uncommon and enchanting little piece.

Standing Korean guardian figure sculpted from an igneous stone, the bottom surface sculpted for insertion directly into the soil. Late-Joseon Period ca. 1900. Very minor old loss, with softening of the lines and contours. Overall lichen accumulation.

Height: 27.5 cm
Width: 18 cm
Depth: 11 cm
Packaged weight: 8 kg

An open-mouthed ("ah") tobikomi shi-shi (lit. diving Chinese lion) sculpted from a gray-blue igneous stone. Late-Edo Period/early-Meiji Era ca. 1875. With the exception of old loss to the shi-shi's right eyebrow, excellent condition.

Height, including base: 46 cm
Width of base: 25 cm
Depth of base: 42 cm
Packaged weight: 49 kg.

Sculpted in the rarely seen "diving" pose with understated stylistic flair, this playful guardian beast was originally paired with a similarly styled close-mouthed ("un") shishi and placed at the entrance to a Japanese Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple.

Left arm of a standing Fudo-Myo (Skt. Acalanatha), the Knowledge King associated with Dai-Nichi Buddha, sculpted from unfinished hinoki wood (Japanese cypress). Momoyama~early-Edo Period ca. 1600, possibly earlier. Very minor old loss, with desirable patination overall. Wooden box included.

Length: 20 cm

Standing Ebisu, one of Japan's 7 lucky gods (Jp. shichifukujin), with a sea bream (Jp. tai), Ebisu's characteristic attribute, held vertically in the left hand and a fishing rod in the right. Mid-Edo Period ca. 1750. Very minor old loss.

Height: 18 cm
Width: 13 cm
Depth: 9.5 cm
Packaged weight: 3 kg

Of Japan's 7 lucky gods, only Ebisu has Japanese roots, the other six gods having either Indian or Chinese origins. Stylistically, this small-scale example is a rarity, with the sea bream held vertically in the left hand rather than tucked horizontally beneath the left arm and the fishing rod held in the right hand pressed against the body. Highly collectible.