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H zushi 9 inches
Some traces of usage (chips on lotus base, rubbing of painting), one door with minor damage on inside, otherwise excellent 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.
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Inside each half is a deep relief carving of Buddhist deities. On one side the three-eyed Aizen Myoo with a lion crown, sitting on a lotus base in the clouds before a red mandorla. His six hands hold Vajra and ghanta, bow and arrow, and lotus bud and pouch. On the other side the two-armed Kannon bosatsu, holding a lotus bud in the left hand, sitting on a lotus base in the clouds. Inside decorated in gold, red, blue and black for details, green mineral color for the background.
The outside decorated in gold lacquer over a black lacquer ground: loose lotus petals and a bonji on each side (one bonji probably for Fugen and one bonji A (for Amida)).
Japan, Edo period, around 1800.
H ca. 3-7/8 inches
Inside in excellent condition with minimal abrasions of the blue in the hair and of the green background pigment. Black lacquer on the outside with some losses. Above the bonji for Fugen (?) a restoration. Wood a bit warped.
Rare
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Women pray to her as the goddess of 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.
Wood sculpture with beautifully painted details. Eyes inlaid in glass or crystal.
Japan, Edo period, circa 1800.
H of case 12 inches.
Excellent condition. Case doors slightly warped
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In this shrine Benten appears in her eight-armed martial form holding various weapons (wheel, bow, spear, sword, club, lock, and arrow) and the wish granting jewel (all of them missing). On her head she carries the snake-bodied Ugajin, old god of fertility and nourishment. Around her are 15 Children or Disciples or Attendants (jugodoji), each carrying specific attributes that are essential for Benten/Ugajin to gain satisfaction and success.
Group inside: Wood stained black. Some remnants of colors on Benten’s face, gilt metal attributes (what’s left of them) and jewelry to Benten. The rock formation was carved by a different carver than the figures. The placement of the Amida Nyorai was a personal choice of the donor. There is no obvious relation between Amida and the Benzaiten group.
The zushi (case) is lacquered black over wood.
Japan, Edo period, late 18th century
Case: H 15 x W 14 x D 11 in.
Condition: Case has substantial water damage due to exposure to humidity in a temple, replacements in the bottom. Inside: Several hands missing, faces rubbed, various attributes missing, repairs on various limbs and garments, item on the boat missing, chips.
In stable condition.
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The esoteric trinity of Benten (defender of Buddhism and state) with Daikoku (god of agriculture) and Bishamon (guardian of treasure, defender of the nation) first appeared in the 14th century in Japan. The three of them have similar protective functions and are part of the shichifukujin, the seven gods of good fortune.
In this shrine Benten appears in her eight-armed martial form holding various weapons (wheel, bow, spear, sword, club, lock, and arrow) and the wish granting jewel. On her head she carries the snake-bodied Ugajin, old god of fertility and nourishment. Around her are 15 Children or Disciples or Attendants (jugodoji), each carrying specific attributes that are essential for Benten/Ugajin to gain satisfaction and success.
Benten is sitting inside a glass dome, in the ship of a wish granting jewel with flames (in polished brass) on top of a lotus leaf.
Group inside: Wood with mineral colors (lapis lazuli, malachite) and gold paint, gilt metal attributes and jewelry to Benten and Bishamon, glass and polished yellow bronze. The black and blue minerals absorb and reflect light, giving the group a glow at very low light.
The zushi (case) is decorated with foaming waves, in gold and silver makie and silver inlays on black polished background on the outside, continuing the design on the inside on a gold kinpun background. Hinges and hardware outside and inside in finely engraved gilt copper. On the back is an inscription in gold makie: Dedication of Benzaiten and the 15 Disciples, Daikokuten and Bishamonten on the first day (day of the snake) of the 4th month of the 2nd year of Koka, the year of the snake kinoto-mi (1845)
Case: H 10.5 x W 9 x D 8 in.
Condition: Chip on the roof of the zushi, one hinge loose, but overall very good condition. Inside: One pole of cart missing, horse a bit dislodged and at an angle, but stable, gold and colors a bit flakey, some of the attributes bent. All in all good condition.
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BEWARE: Due to the glass dome around Benten, which is not fixed in place, but cannot be taken out, packing and shipping has to be done by art shipper.
P.O.R.
The reliquary has two shelves, filled with various smaller and larger relics of the historical Buddha, Shaka Nyorai. In the back wall of the zushi, behind the reliquary, is a double door, which can be opened to reveal the reliquary or to lighten the reliquary. The sides of the zushi are covered in gold lacquer. The hinges on the doors are decorated with a manji motive on the inside.
The outside of the zushi is covered in black lacquer, with gold lacquer bands around the edges of the doors and following the contours of the roof. In the center of the roof, in gold lacquer a fully opened lotus flower. The golden band along the edges of the doors is decorated with flowers. The hinges on the outside engraved with meandering flower patterns.
Japan, Edo period, 18th century
H ca. 14.5 in.; W ca. 8 in.
Very fine craftsmanship. Few traces of usage, all in all excellent, original condition.
Very rare piece
The reliquary represents the Buddha Shakyamuni; he is flanked by the bodhisattvas Monju and Fugen, forming the Shaka triad. The combination of the wish granting jewel and the relics of the Buddha originates in esoteric Buddhism.
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H 2 ½ inches
Some age and use related chipping along the edges, minor damage in the lacquer, and nicks and dents, hinges a bit weak, rubbed and bent, but all in all in very good condition
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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.
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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.
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Japan, Edo period, 19th century
H 8.5 x W 11.75 x 11.5 in.
Unfortunately badly abused as a planter, causing water damage on the patina on the outside, and with numerous small and unobtrusive dents. Some of the gold on the butterfly wings damaged.Legs have been removed and are lost. In spite of that, a magnificent piece decorated in a technique commonly used among the dexterous makers of sword fitting.
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The figure and the lotus dais are made in wood with gilding over red lacquer, with details in gold and black. Eyes are in reverse-painted glass or crystal. The crown, the mandorla, and most of the weapons in gilt metal. The rock formation in polychromed wood over gesso inlaid with semi-precious stones and/or glass. Japan, Edo period, circa 1800.
Shrine measurements: H 20.5 x W 14 x D 11.5 inches
Zushi: one hinge missing the vertical pin, otherwise very good condition. Statue: Damage to one hand and to the foot, some cracks and lacquer chips commensurate to age and use. All in all excellent, original condition.
Benten in the 8-armed appearance (happi Benzaiten) is a defender of Buddhism and protector of the nation. This is her appearance as described in the Sutra of Golden Light. According to the sutra, she is supposed to hold in her hands bow and arrow, sword and ax, spear and pestle, and iron wheel (rin) and rope. In statues, the objects vary and over time, objects related to wealth and well-being came to replace the original ones, such as the wish-granting jewel and the key to the storehouse.
Benzaiten with Ugajin on top of her head is Uga Benzaiten, goddess of wealth and good fortune, mostly connected to Shintoism.
In this zushi, Benten holds sword and wish-granting jewel, arrows and (missing) bow, key and lotus, and pestle and halberd. Her function has started to shift with the needs and the taste of the times, incorporating the two prominent religions in Japan.
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Each keman is fan-shaped (or perhaps boar's eye-shaped) with a design of two pairs of double chrysanthemum family crests set between karakusa (winding weeds) in openwork. The knotted cord in the center is executed in gilt bronze repoussé (hollow underneath). The openwork design is very carefully executed, with engraved details and nanako ground.
The ‘saddles’ are decorated with kiku-mon between karakusa, in low relief.
From the bottom of each keman three solid brass balls are suspended, which may be original, or may be replacements for streamers.
The family crests each contain a 16-petaled chrysanthemum, two of which hold a double plum blossom in the center. The double chrysanthemum could point to a family relation with the imperial family. The keman were probably hanging in a family temple.
Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
H 10.75 x W 14 in. (27.8 x 35.6 cm).
H incl. ring and balls 15 in. (38.1 cm)
Some of the eyelets from which the balls were dangling are broken, gilding rubbed (on the reverse the gilding is better preserved than on the front), otherwise excellent condition.
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H zushi 16-1/2 inches.
Colors on peacock chipped (touched up), gilding on feathers that form the halo and on the garment brittle and flaking, white pigment on Kujaku with chips and small cracks, one attribute to Kujaku missing, some of the crown missing. All damages consistent with usage and age. All in all good condition.
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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.
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Wood with polychrome and gold color over gesso, eyes reverse-painted glass or crystal, staff of En no Gyoja gilded bronze.
Japan, Edo period, circa 1800
Measurements zushi H 21 x W 13 x D 9.5 inches
Extremely rare subject matter
En no Gyoja was a 7th century mountain ascetic. He is considered to be the father of Shugendo, a sect in which Shinto and pre-Buddhist mountain worship blends with Tantric Buddhist rituals. Physical endurance, such as seclusion, fasting, meditation, engaging in austerity, is seen as the path to Enlightenment. Practitioners are called Shugenja or Shugyosha, and Yamabushi. Amalgamations of Shinto and Buddhism were forbidden at the Meiji restauration and the Shugendo sect was banned in 1872. Its existing places of worship were either transformed to Shinto shrines or became branches of Shingon or Tendai Buddhism.
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H zushi ca. 16 inches; figure of Aizen ca. 5 inches.
Figure: one arm re-stuck with glue, other joints showing small seams, some beads missing in gilded jewelry. Zushi: some lacquer chips on the doors, edges and other traces of obvious age and usage. All in all very good condition.
$5,500.00
From the ceiling of the zushi hangs a drapery, decorated with of two phoenixes in fine gold on a lapis blue ground.
Wood with mineral colors, gofun, and fine decorations in gold. The crown of the Buddha in gilded metal.
Japan, Meiji era, later part 19th century.
Height case: 9 7/8 in. (25.7 cm).
Figure: Segment of crown missing, small tension crack in his left thigh, seam of right arm open, otherwise excellent condition. Case: Few dents, lacquer chips in one spot, otherwise very good condition.
The figure in the shrine is an amalgamation of figures. The mudra and especially the wearing of jewelry (crown, bracelets) identify him as Dainichi Nyorai. Dainichi is the only Buddha who appears as a Bodhisattva (i.e. wears jewelry). The lion hat is very rare for Dainichi, so is the disc-shaped mandorla. However, both are common attributes of Aizen Myoo, an incarnation of Dainichi Nyorai. This figure represents the three incarnations (sanshu rinshin)of Dainichi Buddha:
As Nyorai, he represents the Wheel of Self Nature (jisho rinshin).
As a Bodhisattva, he represents the Teaching of the Law to Buddhist adherents (shobo rinshin).
As a Myoo, he represents the Teaching of the Law to wayward souls who need intimidationto become faithful Buddhist practitioners (kyoryo rinshin).