28th Oct, 2020 13:00

Fine Japanese Art

 
Lot 147
 

147

A RARE PAIR OF KAMAKURA PERIOD POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURE OF BUDDHIST LIONS

Sold for €16,432

including Buyer's Premium


Lot details

Japan, Kamakura period (1185-1333)

An exceptionally rare pair of two Buddhist lions, a koma-inu and a shishi, dating to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The koma-inu (literally Korean dog) is shown with a single horn and with the mouth closed, uttering the syllable ‘un’. The shishi is snarling with its mouth opened, uttering the syllable ‘a’. The eyes are characteristically inlaid in crystal with black and gold lacquer. The separately carved tails are formed by finely crafted curls which appear like flames. The surface is covered in green, blue and red pigments which are largely worn. The polychrome pigments of the koma-inu are slightly better preserved than on the shishi. With associated plexiglass stands especially made for the two figures.

This exceptional pair of early figures maintains the iconographic distinction between the komainu with a single horn and the shishi without a horn which appears to have largely disappeared during the later Muromachi period (1336-1573).

HEIGHT each c. 24.5 cm

Condition: Worn condition as is to be expected with a figure of this age. Both figures are however completely original and unrestored. The polychrome pigments are largely worn, there are several cracks throughout as well as scattered losses and overall wear. Some individual elements are loose.
Provenance: Estate of Elaine Levy Proler (1930-2019), Houston, Texas.

Literature & Auction comparison:
Compare the manner of the carving with a closely related example from the Kamakura period in the Nara national Museum accession no. 1311-0.
Compare the manner of the lion on a figure of a Bodhisattva sold by Christie’s, Japanese Art & Design, 16 May 2012, London, lot 299 (sold for 55,250 GBP).

 

Japan, Kamakura period (1185-1333)

An exceptionally rare pair of two Buddhist lions, a koma-inu and a shishi, dating to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The koma-inu (literally Korean dog) is shown with a single horn and with the mouth closed, uttering the syllable ‘un’. The shishi is snarling with its mouth opened, uttering the syllable ‘a’. The eyes are characteristically inlaid in crystal with black and gold lacquer. The separately carved tails are formed by finely crafted curls which appear like flames. The surface is covered in green, blue and red pigments which are largely worn. The polychrome pigments of the koma-inu are slightly better preserved than on the shishi. With associated plexiglass stands especially made for the two figures.

This exceptional pair of early figures maintains the iconographic distinction between the komainu with a single horn and the shishi without a horn which appears to have largely disappeared during the later Muromachi period (1336-1573).

HEIGHT each c. 24.5 cm

Condition: Worn condition as is to be expected with a figure of this age. Both figures are however completely original and unrestored. The polychrome pigments are largely worn, there are several cracks throughout as well as scattered losses and overall wear. Some individual elements are loose.
Provenance: Estate of Elaine Levy Proler (1930-2019), Houston, Texas.

Literature & Auction comparison:
Compare the manner of the carving with a closely related example from the Kamakura period in the Nara national Museum accession no. 1311-0.
Compare the manner of the lion on a figure of a Bodhisattva sold by Christie’s, Japanese Art & Design, 16 May 2012, London, lot 299 (sold for 55,250 GBP).

Zacke Live Online Bidding

Our online bidding platform makes it easier than ever to bid in our auctions! When you bid through our website, you can take advantage of our premium buyer's terms without incurring any additional online bidding surcharges.

To bid live online, you'll need to create an online account. Once your account is created and your identity is verified, you can register to bid in an auction up to 12 hours before the auction begins. 

Create an Account

  

Intended Spend and Bid Limits

When you register to bid in an online auction, you will need to share your intended maximum spending budget for the auction. We will then review your intended spend and set a bid limit for you. Once you have pre-registered for a live online auction, you can see your intended spend and bid limit by going to 'Account Settings' and clicking on 'Live Bidding Registrations'. 

Your bid limit will be the maximum amount you can bid during the auction. Your bid limit is for the hammer price and is not affected by the buyer’s premium and VAT.  For example, if you have a bid limit of €1,000 and place two winning bids for €300 and €200, then you will only be able to bid €500 for the rest of the auction. If you try to place a bid that is higher than €500, you will not be able to do so.

 

Online Absentee and Telephone Bids

You can now leave absentee and telephone bids on our website! 

Absentee Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave your absentee bid directly on the lot page. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding

Once you've created an account and your identity is verified, you can leave telephone bids online. We will contact you when your bids have been confirmed.

Telephone Bidding Form

 

Classic Absentee and Telephone Bidding Form

You can still submit absentee and telephone bids by email or fax if you prefer. Simply fill out the Absentee Bidding/Telephone bidding form and return it to us by email at office@zacke.at or by fax at +43 (1) 532 04 52 20. You can download the PDF from our Upcoming Auctions page. 

 

How-To Guides

How to Create Your Personal Zacke Account
How to Register to Bid on Zacke Live
How to Leave Absentee Bids Online
How to Leave Telephone Bids Online

 

中文版本的操作指南 

创建新账号
注册Zacke Live在线直播竞拍(免平台费)
缺席投标和电话投标

 

Third-Party Bidding

We partner with best-in-class third-party partners to make it easy for you to bid online in the channel of your choice. Please note that if you bid with one of our third-party online partners, then there will be a live bidding surcharge on top of your final purchase price. You can find all of our fees here. Here's a full list of our third-party partners:

  • 51 Bid Live
  • EpaiLive
  • ArtFoxLive
  • Invaluable
  • LiveAuctioneers
  • the-saleroom
  • lot-tissimo
  • Drouot

Please note that we place different auctions on different platforms. For example, in general, we only place Chinese art auctions on 51 Bid Live.

  

Bidding in Person

You must register to bid in person and will be assigned a paddle at the auction. Please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52 for the latest local health and safety guidelines.