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H 2 ¾ inches
Few age cracks (see photos), paint on doors a bit rubbed, otherwise excellent condition. Beautiful details.
$1,400.00
Height 6 in. (15.3 cm).
Right hand missing, otherwise excellent condition. Case: some dents and chips, basically in very good condition.
p.o.r.
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.
P.O.R.
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
$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.).
$1,500.00
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.
see number 492282
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.
see number 492282
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
see number 492282
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.
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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.
P.O.R.
H of case ca. 5 inches.
Most of the crown missing, some traces of usage but all in all in excellent condition.
P.O.R.
H of case ca. 4 inches.
Comes with original fitted kiri-wood storage box, inscribed with the receiver’s name (juyo), a Kyoto address, dated Taisho 13, 9th month, 17th day, Toyokawakaku and stamped with a red seal. Excellent condition.
Enpukuzan Toyokawa, Myogonji is a temple dedicated to the eleven headed Kannon and Dakiniten and the fox Inari. It was originally founded in 1441 by Tokai Gieki. Most of these temples were rebuilt in the Meiji era or even later, hence many of the products of these temples are from modern times. Worshipers traditionally are merchants.
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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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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.
$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.