Rare Japanese Gilt Butsudan Shrine for Dainichi Nyorai

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Exceptional Antiquities, Ethnographic and Fin...

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 29, 2023

Set Reminder 2023-06-29 10:00:00 2023-06-29 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Ethnographic and Fine Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-and-fine-art-13031
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• Lot Description
  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
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
  
  #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.
• Shipping Info

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