108 - A LARGE AND RARE HINOKI WOOD FIGURE OF A SEATED SHINTO DEITY (SHINZO), KAMAKURA PERIOD

A LARGE AND RARE HINOKI WOOD FIGURE OF A SEATED SHINTO DEITY (SHINZO), KAMAKURA PERIOD Japan, 12 th-13 th century, Kamakura period (1185-1333) Carved from a single block (ichiboku-zukuri) of cypress (hinoki) wood with traces of pigment over gesso, the female deity seated in a composed frontal pose and dressed in the voluminous robes of a courtier. The garments fall in broad, rounded folds across the lap, creating a compact and monumental silhouette, while the upper robe is drawn closely around the shoulders and chest. Her serene face is modeled with gently arched brows, narrow downcast eyes, a straight nose, and small pursed lips, framed by long locks descending to either side. The restrained carving and solemn expression convey the quiet dignity characteristic of early Shinto devotional sculpture. HEIGHT 40 cm (excl. stand), 42 cm (incl. stand) Provenance: The private collection of Dr. Felix Guggenheim, Beverly Hills, and thence by descent. Dr. Felix Guggenheim (1904-1976) was a German-American publisher, literary agent, legal adviser, and collector. Born in Konstanz, he studied law and economics and earned doctorates from the universities of Zurich and Leipzig. After fleeing Nazi Germany, he settled in Los Angeles in 1940 and co-founded the bibliophile publishing house Pazifische Presse, which issued limited editions by prominent German-speaking émigré authors, including Thomas Mann, Franz Werfel, Alfred Döblin, and Lion Feuchtwanger. He later advised leading writers and publishers on transatlantic copyright and legal matters. An art collector and cultural-history enthusiast, Guggenheim assembled a collection that included Chinese antiquities acquired from established New York dealers during the 1950s and 1960s. Works from his collection were exhibited at the Lytton Center of Visual Arts in 1964 and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1973. Condition: Good condition with old wear commensurate with age including age cracks and splits. The darker wood section is likely of later date and has been assembled to support the ancient figure. Firmly mounted on the wood base. Presenting magnificently. With a fitted wood stand. Shinzo were anthropomorphic representations of Shinto kami, created for enshrinement within sanctuaries and often kept concealed from ordinary view. Hinoki was especially prized for religious sculpture for its fine grain and durability, while the ichiboku-zukuri technique preserved the physical unity and mass of a single block of wood. In the present figure, the broad grain and age-worn surface remain integral to the image, lending the deity a particularly powerful and archaic presence. Literature comparison: Compare a closely related wood figure of a seated deity, Kamakura period, dated 13 th century, 42.5 cm high, in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, accession number M.89.118. Auction comparison: Compare a related pair of wood Shinto deities (shinzo), Kamakura period, dated to the 12th century, 43 cm and 26.3 cm high, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, 29 March 2005, New York, lot 494 (sold for USD 15,600 or approx. EUR 24,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).