Originally listed at $900...

East Asia, Japan, Meiji era, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A beautiful, lacquered wood zushi shrine with a gilt wood statue within of Jizo Bosatsu bodhisattva, standing on a lotus pedestal base framed by a circular halo, and holding the cintamani jewel in one hand. The gilt is a high quality 38% to 61.5% gold (equivalent to 9K+ to 14K+), and the green base below has simple blue flowers painted to symbolize the figure's connection to the ground / earth. The pedestal and statue are attached to the wood shrine base and protected behind hinged doors with a hook clasp. Jizo Bosatsu is the bodhisattva of the earth matrix and known as Ksitigarbha ("Earth Womb") in Sanskrit, he is traditionally depicted in the guise of a monk with a shaven head and simple robes. The cintamani jewel grants wishes and symbolized on the halo decoration. His right hand previously held a pilgrim?s staff with 6 rings symbolizing the 6 perfections of a bodhisattva. Size: 12" L x 8.3" W x 27" H (30.5 cm x 21.1 cm x 68.6 cm); gold quality: 38% to 61.5% (equivalent to 9K+ to 14K+)

One of the most readily recognizable of the many deities in the Buddhist pantheon and perhaps the most sympathetic, Jizo is invoked for many roles - as protector of travelers, of children, and of women in childbirth. However, he was especially venerated for his intervention on behalf of those suffering in hell, the lowest of the Six Realms of Existence. The cult of Jizo as a savior and an advocate for the sinners in hell became central to Japanese Buddhism in the Kamakura period. Functioning like a priest, he serves as a guide of the dead through the intermediate state and on to birth in the Pure Land of Amida Buddha. Jizo is often translated as 'Womb of the Earth,' where ji means earth, while zo means womb. Zo can also be translated as 'repository of treasure'; thus Jizo is often translated as 'Earth Store' or 'Earth Treasury'.

Provenance: private Rochester, Michigan, USA collection; ex-Objects D'Art, Oleg Konstantinov, Kensinton, Maryland, USA

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#182610

Old repairs with pigment to interior of doors. Active flaking and to pigment surface layers on the wood shrine. Scuffs and chips to wood edges and stable fissures and gaps between wood panels. Minor chips and nicks to the gilt statue - hands and robes. Statue is well protected and in great condition.