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Polychromed wood with some gold details. The roof of the shrine is a separate piece and can be detached, which allows for taking apart the zushi.
Japan, Meiji period, 19th century.
Height of zushi ca. 7.8 inches (19.5 cm).
Frontal golden curtain dislodged due to warping, but still with the zushi; one door lost its hinge-functions (top and bottom pin broken off, triangular splinter on right door on last photo), paint on brocade cover of horse chipping and fragile.
This piece needs to be seen as a form of ema, which were offered to temples and shrines as a calling to the deity. In the Shinto religion, horses are intermediaries between this world and the gods. The horse is seen to be used by various deities, for example Benzaiten.
$450.00
Black ink and some gray on paper. Mounted in brocade and framed in wooden Asian frame. Originally this was a hanging scroll but the mounting was cut and used as a decorative border inside the frame.
Korea, first half 20th century.
Frame: H 24.75 x W 18 in.
Painting: H 17 x W 12.75 in.
Paper yellowed and thin on the lines of the paper grid
$2,000.00
Height 11.2 inches (29.2 cm).
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Jizo’s right foot and left hand repaired (old), vertical crack from his left shoulder down and from his right armpit down, along the seams in the underlying woodblocks, insides of doors strongly, but smoothly rubbed (perhaps to rub out a dedication/identifying inscription, so that the zushi could be deaccessioned from the temple); the outside of the zushi with clear traces of usage (soot), and missing lacquer due to damp circumstances at the temple.
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Almost abstracted wooden figure with dark patina. The mouth painted red, the eyes inlaid with glass or crystal painted with gold in reverse technique, the pomegranate made of a red kernel.
This is a very rare appearance, a kind of in-between form between the child robbing and devouring monster and the transformed and enlightened mother feeding on fruit and vegetables.
Japan, 19th century.
Height case: 13 inches (32.5 cm).
Figure in very good condition with one worm hole and tiny chip at seam at face. Base with repaired boulder. Case basically in fine condition with beautiful hardware on shrine.
Kishimojin, or Kishibojin, or Kariteimo, is a complex deity. Originally, she was a demon who stole and killed other people's children in order to feed her numerous own children. After Buddha Shakyamuni made her see how she made people suffer, she repented and devoted herself to protecting all children. Instead of the flesh of children, she fed her own children pomegranate henceforth.
Women pray to her for easy delivery, child rearing, for harmony between husband and wife, love, and for the well-being of the family. Childless women also pray to Kishimojin in the hope of becoming pregnant.
$4,000.00
Wood decorated with gold and mineral colors. Gilt metal mandorla behind her head, decorated with flaming jewels.
The baldachin above the figure is decorated with auspicious symbols in mineral colors. The pedestal is decorated with a few of the Treasures.
Japan, Edo period, late 18th century.
Height zushi: ca. 11 inches.
Some cracks in the wood, flaking lacquer at the base, some cracks in the lacquer on the figure, stabilized with clear finish, all in all in stable condition.
Shichimen Daimyojin is the protectress of Minobu, the site of temple Kuonji, general quarters of the Nichiren sect and burial place of the founder of the sect. Mount Shichimen is south of Minobu.
$3,700.00
Height case 10.5 inches.
Figure: Some minor rubbing and lacquer chips, two tips of lotus petals on dais broken and repaired, fringe of crown on right missing, few fingertips slightly chipped.
Case: minor traces of usage.
Overall condition very good.
$3,900.00
Makers mark chiseled into the bottom of each lion dog. The name consists of a single character that can be read in a variety of ways: Yasushi, but also Hiroshi, Yutaka, Toru or Akira; followed by "saku" or "made by".
Japan, late 19th century.
Height: left 9 inches, right 9.1 inches (22.8 and 23.2 cm).
Excellent condition.
They seem to be modeled after a pair of Kamakura period komainu, made of wood, in the Daiho shrine in Shiga prefecture, which are deemed Important Cultural Assets.
$300.00
Hanging scroll with gold brocade mounting and gilded hardware, as used for Buddhist paintings. The image of the bodhisattva Kannon sitting on a rock, with a poem underneath, is painted in black ink, red and gold, in the center of the silk. She is surrounded by 37 stamps and poems (goeika, originally written by Emperor Kazan, after his retirement), collected on the circuit of 33 temples of the Saigoku Pilgrimage (Kansai area), that are dedicated to the bodhisattva Kannon, at and four other temples. Each temple of the Saigoku circuit has a number, reflected in the read seals. The stamps used on this scroll are the ones that have been used from the Showa era on. The additional four stamps are from the Yamato-kuni Chokuku temple and the Kiko temple in Nara, dedicated to Kannon, and from two other temples.
It has become very rare that the poems are added to the stamps. The calligraphy is very good and is certainly not to be reproduced today.
Japan, Showa era, ca. late 1970s.
Image H 48.75 x W 17.5 in.
Mounting 74.25 x 23.25 in.
Width bottom scroll 25.75 in.
Excellent condition
$600.00
On the outside bottom there is a paper label with inscription in ink, stating: An old Buddha from 150 -200 yrs. old that used to be carried by the Japanese who prayed to it for strength. 1922 (or 1932)
Japan, mid Edo period (around 1800).
Height case: 2.75 inches (6.9 cm).
Case with minor traces of usage, and all in all in very good condition.
Statue: Snout of one boar (second from right) chipped, some attributes damaged or missing, otherwise very good condition.
Marishiten is the deity of prosperity, venerated in the warrior class, and by entertainers.
$1,800.00
Wood with a polychrome lacquer layer on top of gesso.
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Height 18.5 in., width 17.25 in., depth 12 in.
Beautiful patina. The lacquer rubbed in places, partly down to the bare wood, lacquer stabilized, some thin cracks in the lacquer surface, but basically in good and stable condition.
$1,800.00
He is dressed in Chinese garment, standing on the back of a kida (a beast that is half turtle, half dragon-snake), holding an enormous sword. Behind his back a nimbus with seven discs, representing the seven stars of the Big Dipper. To the left of the rock base the head of a snake pops out. (Probably a snake was wound ”around” the giant turtle and broke off. When the sword was replaced, the restoring person found the snake head and did not know that the snake head should pop up on the side of the turtle, and not from the rock.)
Japan, Edo period, early 19th century.
Height case: 8.25 inches (21 cm).
Case: Usual wear and tear, on back label with the text: 19th century Japanese lacquer shrine of Buddha. C. 1820.
Figure: Sword replaced, snake broken off from side of dragon-turtle and glued to the wrong spot, traces of glue on back of turtle (excess glue from underneath deity’s feet), crack in head along the seam of the blocks, polychrome pigments curling up and chipping off at places (showing the underlying gesso).
Otherwise good condition.
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Aizen Myoo sits on his typical lotus throne on top of the vase full of jewels, surrounded by a circular, red, flaming nimbus. Around the foot of the jewel filled vase are sacred treasures scattered around.
Daiitoku Myoo rides in standing position a long horned buffalo who jumps over waves, while Daiitoku draws his bow.
Rich brocade mounting with the chrysanthemum and the paulownia crests.
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Painted silk of each: H 16.8 x W 9.3 x in. (42.7 x 23.6 cm).
With mounting H is approx. 50.5 in.
Restored tear in the upper half of the Daiitoku-painting, otherwise good conditions.
Comes with a plain (uninscribed) wooden storage box.
Aizen and Daiitoku are two of the Myoo who – in Esoteric Buddhism - subdue evil spirits and convert nonbelievers to the teachings of Dainichi Buddha.
$2,800.00
Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Height of zushi: ca. 5.8 inches (14.6 cm).
Baldachin split and restored, gold decoration rubbed; sword missing.
Shrine with usual wear and tear, hard ware loose in places. All in all very good condition.
Fudo Myoo converts anger into salvation and frightens people into accepting the teachings of the Buddha Dainichi. His sword symbolizes wisdom as it cuts through ignorance. His rope is used to catch and bind demons. The flaming mandorla (also called garuda flame, referring to the fire breathing bird from Indian mythology) represents purification of the mind by the burning away of all material desire.
$800.00
Image: 29.25 x W 21 inches. Mounting: 44.25 x 26.5 inches. Silver scroll ends decorated with cut out peonies on rocks mounted over a sentoku core.
Punch hole in bottom, stabilized by mounting, few small rubbed spots, dent in scroll end.
$800.00
Bishamon and Benten are two of the seven gods of good fortune (shichifukujin), but they each hold a position in the Buddhist pantheon, as well.
Both images in plain, unpainted camphor wood.
Japan, 19th century.
Diameter 2.1 inches (5.4 cm).
Wood slightly warped, gold lacquer on the outside dull (under influence of sunlight etc.), otherwise very good condition, very detailed carving.
$1,400.00
Carved wood, gilded and polychromed, with extremely finely painted details in the face.
Japan, Edo period, 18/19th century.
Measurements: H ca. 8.5 in.; W ca. 9.5 in.; D ca. 5 in. (ca. 21.6 x 24.1 x 12.7 cm.).
$800.00
Exquisite carving in very soft wood, probably cryptomeria (sugi), lightly stained with a shade of darker brown.
Japan, Meiji period.
Height 10.6 in. (27.6 cm).
Excellent condition
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Japan, Edo period, early 19th century.
Diameter: ca. 1.75 inches (4.4 cm).
Scarf tip on the right side of figure missing, tiny unimportant restoration, otherwise very good condition.
Comes with a custom made wooden stand.