Rare Japanese Gilt Butsudan Shrine for Dainichi Nyorai

Lot 127

About Seller

686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States

Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more

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Fine Antiquities, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Ethnographic Art by Artemis Gallery

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Fine Antiquities, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Ethno...

By Artemis Gallery

May 11, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-05-11 10:00:00 2023-05-11 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Antiquities, Asian, Pre-Columbian, Ethnographic Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-antiquities-asian-pre-columbian-ethnographic-art-12771 Classical antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art from cultures encompassing the globe. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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Lot Description

**Originally Listed At $1500**

East Asia, Japan, Meiji era, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A stunning lacquered wood, brass, and gold washed household Buddhist shrine (Butsudan) containing an austere Dainichi-nyorai, the Mahâvairocona Buddha or "Great Sun," within. The shrine comes with a separate offering table that would have held gifts of tea or food; ornamented with openwork scrolling clouds and high relief chrysanthemum flowers adorning the skirt. The shrine can also sit atop the table like a pedestal (as shown in photos). The cabinet shrine has 2 sets of doors, the inner most covered in a thin gauze screen, veiling the figure within. The intricate carvings and shimmering gilt are spectacular, with a rich 16.12% to 28.0% gold! The Buddha is humbly un-gilded before an aureole on a pedestal within a miniature architectural building, a blue cloth with metallic silk threads is set onto the back panel. The layering of elaborate carvings creates a wonderful sense of depth and shadows. Size on table: 11.5" L x 8" W x 25" H (29.2 cm x 20.3 cm x 63.5 cm)

At the start of the Meiji Period (1868), the Japanese government declared that Buddhism must be separated from Shinto, the official state religion. Initially, enforcement of the separation was strict, and Buddhist images were stricken from many Shinto shrines. Within a few years, however, enforcement stopped, and Buddhist imagery crept back into Japanese religious art. A shrine like this one, depicting a Bodhisattva, was created during this time period. Butsudan have doors that usually remain closed after religious observances. Some scholars trace this Japanese interpretation of a Buddhist practice to Shinto shrines, where it is rare to find a statue, and they are always concealed.

Provenance: private Loveland, Colorado, USA collection; ex-Kobe Gallery, Seattle, Washington, USA, 1998

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#177681

Condition

Missing arm on Buddha as shown and right post inside the shrine. Small tear to gauze door. Repainting to gilt and touch up to lacquer. Fissure to right rear and left front table leg / base area. Chips and nicks throughout.
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