105 - A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE BUDDHIST HANGING SCROLL OF A SHAKA TRIAD (SHAKA SANZON) WITH THE SIXTEEN BENEVOLENT DEITIES, WITH TOKUGAWA AOI MOUNTS, 18TH CENTURY, EDO PERIOD

A LARGE AND IMPRESSIVE BUDDHIST HANGING SCROLL OF A SHAKA TRIAD (SHAKA SANZON) WITH THE SIXTEEN BENEVOLENT DEITIES, WITH TOKUGAWA AOI MOUNTS, 18TH CENTURY, EDO PERIOD Japan, 18 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Finely painted with Buddha Shakyamuni seated on a tiered lotus throne before a large circular aureole, wearing richly patterned red robes, his right hand raised in a gesture of reassurance. Above him rises an elaborate bejeweled canopy, lavishly adorned with colorful blossoms, tassels, and pendant ornaments. The Buddha is flanked by the bodhisattvas Monju (Manjushri), seated on a shishi, and Fugen (Samantabhadra), riding a white elephant. Surrounding the triad are the Sixteen Benevolent Deities (juroku zenshin), depicted in dynamic poses, wearing richly decorated armor and flowing robes, and carrying various weapons and attributes. The composition includes the fierce guardian figures Kongo Rikishi and Misshaku Rikishi, while the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (602-664) appears at the lower right, carrying a portable scripture chest, a scroll, and brush, opposite his legendary protector, the Great General of the Desert (Jinja Daisho). The entire scene is set against a luminous gold ground, framed by scrolling clouds and scattered falling petals. The magnificent mounting is painted with gold phoenixes against a vibrant red ground, enriched with colorful brocade borders. The substantial gilt-copper jikusaki (roller ends) are finely chased with scrolling foliage and prominently decorated with the mitsuba aoi mon, the triple-leaf crest of the Tokugawa family. The mounting is further embellished with elaborate pierced gilt-copper fittings bearing the same crest and suspending movable rings. Inscriptions: At the back of the scroll inscribed 大般若十六善神、般若寺徳風主 Daihannya Juroku Zenshin, Hannya-ji Tokufu shu [The Sixteen Benevolent Deities of the Great Perfection of Wisdom (Mahaprajnaparamita), the owner Priest Tokufu of Hannya Temple]. Image SIZE 135 x 70.3 cm, SIZE incl. mounting 234 x 95 cm Provenance: A private collection, Düsseldorf, Germany. Condition: Very good condition with old wear and vibrant colors. Some soiling, creasing, and scattered flaking, rubbing and losses to pigment, particularly to the white aureole. The painted mounting with small losses at the top right edge, the mounting reinforced along top and bottom of the reverse. A fourth gilt-copper suspension loop possibly lost. The pyramidal arrangement of the figures, with the transcendent Shaka at its apex and axis, projects the enduring nature of the faith. The subtle contrast between the broad-shouldered stasis of the Buddha and the animation of the bodhisattvas and their mounts is a pleasing visual interpretation of the theological meaning of the iconography. This straightforward yet richly painted icon reflects the revival of older Buddhist sects that accompanied the reform of mainstream Buddhism during the Kamakura period. The Sixteen guardian deities are believed to protect the sutra. Missahku Rikishi symbolizes the power of the exoteric, the outward forms that religion takes; the institutional aspects of faith and religion, such as rituals, moral precepts, and institutions. Kongo Rikishi symbolizes the latent power of esotericism; the inward forms of faith and religion, transcendence, mystic experience, and internal realizations of the Divine. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related Buddhist painting of a Shaka Triad with the Sixteen Benevolent Deities, 16 th century, Muromachi period, 130 x 58 cm, at Galerie Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 6 December 2024, Vienna, lot 145 (sold for EUR 7,800 or approx. EUR 8,200 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Due to length restriction on Drouot this entry is shortened. For full description please visit www.zacke.at.