East Asia, Japan, late Edo to Meiji period, ca. 19th century CE. A beautiful wooden Nichiren Buddhist shrine featuring a pair of Buddhas, each draped in flowing robes opening at their chests with hands showing the namaskara mudra, flanking a stele inscribed in relief with "Daimoku" - the Japanese title of the Lotus Sutra. Both figures sit in padmasana on lotus thrones, their hair in topknots and their faces meditative with downcast eyes. Cloudy mandorlas rise behind each figure as well as the stele as all 3 rest upon a tiered, hexagonal platform adorned by lotus and geometric designs, the bottom most being openwork. Nichiren Buddhism is a branch of Mahayana Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th-century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222?1282) and is one of the Kamakura period schools. Size: 4" L x 11.25" W x 13" H (10.2 cm x 28.6 cm x 33 cm)

The Lotus Sutra is the name of the Japanese chant said within all forms of Nichiren Buddhism, which states "Namu Myoho Renge Kyo" or "Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra" or "Glory to the Dharma of the Lotus Sutra." Followers of Nichiren Buddhism consider the Lotus Sutra to be the name of the ultimate law permeating the universe, in unison with human life which can manifest realization, sometimes termed as "Buddha Wisdom" or "attaining Buddhahood", through select Buddhist practices.

Provenance: private Rochester, Michigan, USA collection

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#182121

Professionally repaired with adhesive visible on interior, but otherwise done very well. Nicks and abrasions to surface with some loss of detail in areas. Otherwise, nice presentation with rich patina and liberal remains of pigment.