Japan, 16^th century, Muromachi period (1338-1573)

Ink, watercolors, gold paint and gouache on silk. Finely painted to depict Buddha Shakyamuni seated on a tiered lotus throne under a beaded canopy, flanked below by the bodhisattvas Fugen (Samantabhadra) seated on a recumbent elephant and Monju (Manjushri) atop a fiercely snarling shishi.

The Shaka Triad surrounded by the sixteen benevolent deities, flanked to the top by dvarapalas, the green Kongo Rikishi and the red Misshaku Rikishi, and Xuanzang (602-664) in the lower right corner holding a scroll and brush; the fierce red deity opposite him is the Great General of the Desert (Jinja Daisho), who is said to have protected Xuanzang during his travels.

The central panel surrounded by a narrow band of dragons writhing amid clouds, further enclosed by peony blossoms borne of leafy scrolling vines, all exquisitely painted in imitation of a traditional mounting. Framed behind glass.

SIZE 130 x 58 cm (image) and 204 x 78 cm (incl. frame)

Condition: Good condition with wear, flaking, creasing, scratches, and losses to gilt and pigment. Minor touchups and restorations as are to be expected. Overall presenting exceptionally well considering the age and use.
Provenance: The collection of Baron Eberhard von Bodenhausen-Degener (1868-1918), thence by descent to his daughter Luli Deste (Baroness Julie Dorothea von Bodenhausen-Degener), and thence by further direct descent. Luli Deste (1902-1951) was a German-American stage and film actress. She grew up at Schloss Neubeuern in Bavaria, a castle owned by her uncle, Jan von Wendelstadt (1856-1909), an avid art collector. He often invited her father, Baron Eberhard Bodenhausen-Degener (1868-1918), to stay with him at the castle.

This painting shows Shaka in his fully enlightened state, enthroned and flanked by his bodhisattva attendants: Monju (Manjushri), riding a golden lion, and Fugen (Samantabhadra), riding a white elephant. Serving as the Buddha's active agents in this world, Monju stands for the wisdom of Buddhism and Fugen for its practice, particularly meditation and teaching. 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 realisations of the Divine.

Museum comparison:
Compare a closely related painting of the Shaka triad, dated 16^th century, 108.5 x 56.9 cm, in the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institute, accession number F1901.8.