117 - A LARGE (96.5 CM) AND IMPRESSIVE STANDING GILT-WOOD FIGURE OF AMIDA NYORAI (AMITABHA), 18TH CENTURY, EDO PERIOD

A LARGE (96.5 CM) AND IMPRESSIVE STANDING GILT-WOOD FIGURE OF AMIDA NYORAI (AMITABHA), 18TH CENTURY, EDO PERIOD Japan, 18th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved in yosegi-zukuri (joined-block construction) and richly gilt, Amida standing upright atop a separately carved lotus pedestal, his hands held in raigo-in, the welcoming mudra associated with his descent to receive the faithful into the Western Pure Land. He is dressed in voluminous monastic robes opening at the chest and falling in a rhythmic succession of deeply carved, cascading folds across the body and toward the feet. The sensitively modeled face conveys a profound sense of serenity, with heavy-lidded downcast eyes inlaid beneath gently arched brows centered by a rock crystal byakugo (urna), the broad nose above full lips forming a subtle smile. The elongated earlobes frame the rounded face, while the hair is arranged in tight, regular curls over the domed ushnisha, set with a glass-inlaid nikkeishu. The figure is set on a fine multi-tiered lotus base. HEIGHT 86.6 cm (figure), 96.5 cm (total) Provenance: Kunsthandel Aalderink, Amsterdam, 17 June 2016. From a noted West Coast collection, United States, acquired by repute from the above. Condition: Good condition with expected wear, age cracks, and minor manufacturing irregularities. Small chips and nicks, scattered flaking and minor losses to the gilding, and light scratches. Several lotus petals are loose. The kohai (aureole) is lost. Overall presenting magnificently. Amida Nyorai, the Japanese manifestation of Amitabha, the Buddha of Infinite Light, presides over the Western Pure Land, where devotees sought rebirth and eventual enlightenment. Central to Japanese Pure Land belief was the concept of raigo, the descent of Amida, often accompanied by bodhisattvas and celestial attendants, to receive the faithful at the moment of death and guide them to his paradise. The raigo-in displayed by the present figure - the characteristic welcoming gesture of Amida - directly embodies this promise of salvation. Standing images of Amida making the raigo-in became particularly important in Japanese Buddhist sculpture. During the Kamakura period, approximately three-shaku (c. 90 cm) standing figures of this type achieved particular prominence and established an influential sculptural model that continued to inform later representations of Amida. At 86.6 cm in height, the present figure closely approaches this traditional three-shaku format. Its rich gilding, inlaid eyes, glass-set byakugo and nikkeishu, and deeply modeled drapery lend the sculpture an imposing devotional presence characteristic of substantial Edo-period Buddhist images. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related larger (127.6 cm) gilt-wood standing figure of Amida, likewise depicted in the traditional raigo form, dated to the 19th century, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Works of Art, 22 March 2011, New York, lot 3259, sold for USD 14,640 or approx. EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.