120 - AN IMPRESSIVE AND VERY LARGE (91 CM) LACQUERED WOOD ZUSHI (PORTABLE SHRINE) CONTAINING A GILT-POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURE OF JIZO BOSATSU, EDO PERIOD, RESTORED IN 1862

AN IMPRESSIVE AND VERY LARGE (91 CM) LACQUERED WOOD ZUSHI (PORTABLE SHRINE) CONTAINING A GILT-POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURE OF JIZO BOSATSU, EDO PERIOD, RESTORED IN 1862 Japan, 17th-18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved from multiple individually fashioned elements and assembled in the yosegi-zukuri technique, the bodhisattva is depicted seated in lalitasana on an elaborate lotus pedestal raised upon a tiered, hexagonal base. His left hand is gently raised beside the torso, supporting a sacred jewel (nyoi hoju) in the palm, while the right rests on his lap and holds upright a ringed monk's staff (shakujo). The figure is clad in voluminous monastic robes, finely incised with delicate folds and opening at the chest to reveal an intricately carved and reticulated necklace (munakazari). The finely modeled face conveys a serene and contemplative expression, with heavy-lidded, downcast eyes beneath gently arched brows, a raised urna, broad nose, and full lips, framed by elongated, pendulous earlobes and a smoothly shaven head. The figure is backed by an elaborate mandorla (kohai), centered behind the head by a radiating aureole composed of swirling clouds and circular reserves enclosing sacred Sanskrit characters in Bonji script. At the center, a lotus blossom issues numerous slender rays, while the mandorla is flanked by two vertical registers of miniature architectural shrines, each enclosing a small figure, amid luxuriant scrolling tendrils. The enclosing zushi is finely constructed in traditional architectural form, the exterior and interior finished in speckled roiro lacquer and embellished with ornamental metal fittings. Inscriptions: The mandorla inscribed in Bonji (Siddham) characters with the Sanskrit mantra of Jizo Bosatsu, om ha ha ha vismaye svaha, invoking the bodhisattva's compassion and liberating power. The reverse with an extensive votive inscription: 元當川道東村住人、前川五郎左衛門義光嫡、同苗荘兵衛義虎、玄孫 前川荘左衛門義陳。文久二壬戌年九月修復。 The inscription records the lineage of the Maekawa family, naming Maekawa Gorozaemon Yoshimitsu, his legitimate descendant Maekawa Shobei Yoshitora, and the latter's great-great-grandson, Maekawa Shozaemon Yoshinobu. It further records the restoration of the image in the ninth month of Bunkyu 2 (1862), the year of the Water Dog. HEIGHT 73.5 cm (figure), 91 cm (total) Condition: Very good condition with expected age-related wear, fine age cracks, small repairs to the rays of the mandorla, the hands possibly reglued, light flaking to gilding and pigments, with occasional retouching. The shrine shows light surface wear and areas of revarnishing. Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha) is among the most beloved and widely venerated bodhisattvas in Japanese Buddhism, revered for his compassionate vow to rescue sentient beings from suffering throughout the Six Realms of rebirth, particularly those condemned to the torments of hell. Unlike most bodhisattvas, he assumes the appearance of a Buddhist monk, with a shaven head and simple robes, carrying the wish-fulfilling jewel (nyoi hoju), which illuminates the darkness of ignorance, and the ringed staff (shakujo), used to announce his presence and guide beings toward salvation. The sacred Bonji mantra inscribed on the elaborate mandorla further emphasizes the devotional significance of the present shrine, invoking Jizo's boundless compassion and his power to liberate sentient beings. Of particular importance is the extensive votive inscription, which preserves the genealogy of the Maekawa family and records the restoration of the image in 1862, providing a rare and valuable historical testimony to its continued veneration during the late Edo period. Intriguingly, the name Maekawa Shozaemon Yoshinobu (義陳) also appears in historical records as that of the head of a prominent Kyoto merchant family, whose financial activities were closely connected to the imperial court and shogunate. The family's residence in Mibu subsequently became one of the headquarters of the Shinsengumi in 1863. This correspondence of names and chronology adds an intriguing historical dimension to the inscription. Auction comparison: Compare a related polychrome wood figure of Jizo Bosatsu, dated to the late 16th-early 17th century, 82.5 cm high (overall), at Bonhams, Fine Japanese and Korean Art, 11 September 2019, New York, lot 858 (sold for USD 13,825 or approx. EUR 16,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).