Catalog: Antiques: Regional Art: Asian (196)

Zushi, Buddhist shrine, containing a highly complex deity. On an eight-tiered lotus throne sits beautifully carved and decorated Dainichi Nyorai, his hands folded in his lap in meditation mudra. On his head he wears a cap in the shape of a lion head. He sits in front of a disc-shaped mandorla.

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).

Shrine with the exquisite carving of the eleven headed Kannon, holding the vase with the flower in the left hand, a rosary in the right. Dark wood. The garment, finely carved with pleats and scarves, decorated in gold with flowers and geometric designs. On the crown 8 of the 11 heads (three missing), with individual faces. The accessories on the chest and the crown in gilded metal. Kannon is standing on a nine tiered base (six tiers hexagonal, three tiers, the lotus, are round). Excellent piece. Japan, Edo period, 18th century or earlier.
Case height 15 ¼ in. (39.5 cm).
Case: obvious traces of usage (lacquer rubbed and chipped on outside), repairs to the bottom, gold lacquer inside strongly rubbed and sooted, some flaking toward the bottom. Figure: Three heads on top missing, parts of crown and necklace missing, rosary broken off, the left foot broken and restored, tip of toe to right foot broken. Mandorla with some repairs, but basically complete. Some tiny chips to base. All in all very good and stable condition.

More photos of case on request.

Miniature shrine with inside the sitting figure of Dainichi Nyorai. He sits on a lotus base, in front of an open-worked halo. Written on top, probably in red lacquer, underneath a thick layer of soot: Dainichi. Height 2 ¾ in. (6.8 cm). Japan, Edo period, 19th century. Outside: some tiny lacquer chips at edges of one door. Inside: some of the outer lotus petals missing, otherwise very good condition. Very finely carved.

Midsize Buddhist shrine, zushi, with double doors on front and back, housing a suiseki (scholar’s rock) placed on a lotus base. Zushi black lacquer on outside with brown copper hardware engraved with flowers, the roof decorated above the doors with cranes painted in black ink. Inside covered with gold lacquer, the pillars decorated with lotus petals. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.

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.

Very small double side zushi with inside the images of the Buddha Amida Nyorai and on the other side a Bodhisattva holding a covered jar. All doors painted with lotus flowers in water on a golden back ground. The zushi itself made of kiri-wood (Paulownia), which is known and used for its fire resisting qualities. Very special piece. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.

H 2 ¾ inches

Few age cracks (see photos), paint on doors a bit rubbed, otherwise excellent condition. Beautiful details.

Very refined zushi with the sculpture of the bodhisattva Jizo. He stands on a lotus throne on rocks, holding a jewel in his left hand, his right hand missing. Behind his head a halo with very fine decoration in relief of clouds and jewels. Light wood with polychrome and gorgeous gold decoration, especially on the garment. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height 6 in. (15.3 cm).
Right hand missing, otherwise excellent condition. Case: some dents and chips, basically in very good condition.

Shrine with inside the figure of the bodhisattva Jizo. He sits on a lotus base, positioned on a rock, his left leg hanging down, the foot resting on a small lotus base. In his left hand he holds a sacred jewel, in the right he formerly held his staff. The rock is placed onto a six tiered hexagonal, elaborately decorated base. Inscription on back of case in ochre colored lacquer, indicating that inside is a sculpture of Jizo, that an offering of 6 to (108 liters ??) was made, that the name of the donator was Naga Nobumasa. Japan, Edo period, 17th/18th century.
Height of case: 14 inches (36.1 cm).
Case: lacquer chips at bottom plate (baring the underlying wood), partly touched up, some minor touch-ups at upper rim, lacquer dull. Basically in very good condition. Figure: lacquer cracks along the seams of the wood blocks (on the right side of his body), some minor lacquer chips and cracks, hardly visible and soot. Staff missing. Necklace broken, but more or less complete. All in all very good condition.

Small shrine with a wooden sculpture of Jizo, standing with a jewel in one hand (which are missing), his staff (which is missing) in the other. Here he is represented as Danda Jizo, assisting those who are suffering in hell and saving small children from the wheel of rebirth. The paintings on the doors show naked children chased by demons in hell. Polychromed wood with delicate details. Metal madorla. Japan, late Edo period, around 1800.
Height zushi: ca. 7 ½ inches.
Paintings on the doors rubbed, hardware fragile but functional. Jizo’s hands and attributes missing, glue stains on his back and feet.

Rare subject. Painting on the left door shows a human pleading with a demon holding a giant club, while below a child is being led away by a female soul. The right hand door shows a large red demon with club, chasing a child, while mothers seem to be wailing.

Zushi or shrine with inside a wooden sculpture of an erect penis dressed in the typical dress of a palace groom, using the grain of the wood to accentuate belly and knees. Fertility symbol, probably used / displayed during local fertility festivals. Also classified as waraimono - things that make you smile. Japan, Meiji era, around 1900.

Case H ca. 10 ½ inches; sculpture H 6 ¼ inches

Zushi with a lot of wear. Sculpture in fine condition; was formerly glued to another base plate.

Richly decorated Buddhist shrine containing the deity Uga Benzaiten flanked by Daikoku and Bishamon and surrounded by Fifteen Children (Jugodoji), all sitting and standing on a rock formation. In the foreground are the ox and the horse, a boat laden with rice bales and jewels and a cart laden with something related to harvest and riches. The group is surrounded by choppy waters, imaged in makie gold lacquer on the inside and outside of the shrine.

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.

More images are available. Please inquire.

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.

Large shrine, zushi, made on special order for a temple. Inside, right in front of the back wall is a silk covered panel. Towards the bottom of the panel, on a gold background, are painted Fugen Bosatsu on his companion the elepahant, and Monju Bosatsu, sitting on the back of his companion the tiger. Above them, set in the center of a red painted circle is a circular crystal reliquary, sitting on a gilt bronze lotus dais, surrounded by gilt bronze flames, forming the wish granting jewel hojugata.
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.

Shrine with the very rare image of the death of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, called nehan-zu, and his entrance into the state or perfect peace, called nirvana or nehan. The Buddha lays stretched out on a rectangular lotus base, his head resting on his right arm. Although normally in nehan-zu one will see gathered around the bed 52 kinds of beings, human and animals mourning the Buddha, there are none present in this zushi. From the ceiling of the case hangs a curtain of sorts.
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.). Case: some dents on roof, flaking lacquer at bottom, corrosion on hardware, consistent with age and a humid storage in a temple. Figure: right arm restored, baldachin damaged (some missing parts still extant) and very fragile.

Plain wooden sculpture of the founder of the Nichiren sect. He is sitting, holding both his hands with the palms up. He is positioned on a rectangular elevation, decorated with water whirls and gilded over lacquer on the sides. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. On the back in black ink inscription reading "Nichiren". On the bottom inscription in black ink, partly covered by paper. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height 4 11/16 in. (12.2 cm).
Crack into his left thigh, cracks in the back of his neck and in the upstanding part of his garment (back), partly filled in and stabilized. Part of left hand thumb missing.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282

Plain wooden sculpture of the deity Shichimen Daimyojin. She is sitting on the top of mount Shichimen, crossing her left leg over the right, holding a jewel in her left hand. She is positioned on a rectangular elevation, painted green on top and gilded over lacquer on the sides. Behind her a jewel decorated nimbus. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. Crown of gilded metal. On the back in black ink inscription reading ‘Nichiren’. On the bottom inscription in black ink, reading ‘Kaneda[mura], Hirono Naomasa’. On the bottom of the base an inscription in black ink reading: Koshu, Yashiro gun, Kaneda mura, Hirono Asajiro Naomasa. Japan, Edo period, 19th century.
Height without base 7 ½ in. (18.8 cm).
Crack into at the front, sword missing, parts of crown missing, otherwise very good condition.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282.

Finely carved wooden figure of Gyochu Kishimojin, the hands folded together in prayer, standing on an upside down lotus leaf, positioned on a rocky base. Plain wood, carved in a slightly facetted way that gives texture to his garment and skin. The base and the lotus gilded over lacquer. Inscribed on back: Kishibojin, opening of the eyes, Nichiren. Inscribed in black ink on bottom of lotus leaf: Hirono Naomasa. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
Height without base 7 ¼ in. (18.3 cm).
Left foot missing, left hand pinky finger broken, chip at left sleeve, few minor old chips at edges, basically good and stable condition.

This piece is part of a Nichiren zushi, that is listed under no. 492282.

Fairly large shrine with three carved figures: Shichimen Daimyojin, Kishimojin and the patriarch of the Nichiren sect, Nichiren. All are positioned on a rectangular base. Although all three can be connected with the Nichiren sect, the formation is a rather unusual one, leading to the assumption that the pieces were carved to the specific order of someone, for a very specific reason. The crest on the outside of the zushi (tachibana branch in well) hints in the same direction. It may very well have been composed for a family shrine. Al pieces inscribed in black ink with more or less the same text: Koshu, Yashiro gun, Kaneda mura, Hirono Asajiro Naomasa. All figures have more or less the same inscription on the back. Japan, 18th century.
Measurements of case: h 14 5/8 in. (37.5 cm), w 16 3/8 in. (42.2 cm), d 8 13/16 in. (22.4 cm).
The case has clear traces of usage and two cracks in the back (one through and through, the other only on the inside), one piece of hardware missing, the other has come off, but is still extant.

Information on the individual pieces will be found under the numbers 492286, 492292 and 492299.

Hand shrine, or zushi, of the triptych type. Inside, in the middle section sits Amida Nyorai on a lotus base, flanked by Seishi and Kannon bosatsu. Inside the left panel, and inside the right panel tennin (apsara) flying over a lotus pond. Image of Western Paradise.
Sandal wood. The outside covered in a dark, translucent lacquer, sprinkled with clouds of nashiji and on the front two kiri-mon in slightly raised gold-takamakie and the overlap in the middle decorated with gold lacquer karakusa over silver lacquer background, imitating engraved hardware. The inside carved in raised relief in different levels, the background covered in lapis lazuli, the carving decorated with gold paint and touches of malachite. Silver hinges in the shape of butterflies.
Japan, Edo period, early 19th century.
Height: ca. 3 ½ inches; width when open: 5 ¾ inches (9 cm; 14.5 cm).
Lapis lazuli somewhat rubbed, all in all very good condition.

Small shrine holding the image of the Buddha Dainichi Nyorai, sitting on a lotus base, before a circular mandorla. Doors decorated on the inside with an exquisitely painted motif of star-shaped flowers. Wood decorated in mineral colors and gold. Very high quality. Thin metal for mandorla and crown. Japan, Edo period, 18th century.
H of case ca. 5 inches.
Most of the crown missing, some traces of usage but all in all in excellent condition.