A RARE BRONZE VOTIVE PLAQUE (KAKEBOTOKE) DEPICTING FUDO MYO-O, MUROMACHI PERIOD
Lot 172 - JPN1225

Japan, 15th-16th century, Muromachi period (1333-1573)

Of circular form and cast in multiple sections, the central figure standing on a jagged rock base in a commanding pose, flanked by two vases. His left hand raised beside the chest, while the right rests on the hip, likely once holding a sword. He is clad in a loosely draped robe falling from the left shoulder, leaving the chest exposed. His face bearing a wrathful expression, marked by bulging eyes, a broad nose, and sharp fangs. The figure encircled by two concentric rings adorned with evenly spaced domed rivets, with a pair of temple lion (shishi) heads at the top serving as suspension fittings. The reverse further fitted with iron pins, indicating that it could also be mounted flush against a surface.

DIAMETER 31.5 cm, LENGTH (with mountings) 37.9 cm
WEIGHT 2,481 g

Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age, with wear and casting irregularities. Few minor fissures and small losses. Mild warping. Light surface scratches and minute nibbles to edges. The bronze surface exhibiting a rich, naturally grown patina.

Kakebotoke, literally ‘hanging Buddhas’, were typically produced from circular bronze or copper sheets, bearing the image of the sacred body of Kami (Shinto deities). They originated from the practice of Shinbutsu-shugo, the syncretism of Kami and Buddhas, established in the Heian period. As one of the few forms of Buddhist art unique to Japan, kakebotoke can be found both into Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, where they were offered to protect the sacred precinct and ensure the prosperity of the Buddhist faith. Within a Buddhist context, they were suspended from the eaves above the main entrance to an image hall or above the frieze rail separating the outer and inner sanctums, positioned to honor the deity charged with safeguarding the temple compound.

Fudo Myo-o represents a personification of Dainichi Nyorai (in Sanskrit, Vairocana) and is the most prominent figure among the Myo-o, deities venerated within the Shingon school of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Fudo embodies the transmutation of wrath into salvific power, depicted with a fierce, glaring visage intended to frighten and guide viewers to the doctrinal precepts of Dainichi Buddha. The right hand usually wields the kurikara, or demon-subduing sword, an iconographic emblem of wisdom cutting through ignorance, while the left hand grasps a rope, symbolically employed to bind malevolent forces. The deity often bears a third eye, signifying omniscience, and is commonly shown seated or standing on a rocky pedestal, denoting immovability and steadfastness in faith.

Museum comparison:
Compare a closely related bronze hanging votive plaque (kakebotoke) with the image of a Bosatsu, Muromachi period, 15th century, 30.1 cm diameter, in the Nara National Museum, accession number 744-12.

Auction comparison:
Compare a related larger bronze hanging votive plaque (kakebotoke), Kamakura period, 13th century, 59 cm diameter, at Christie’s, Japanese and Korean Art, 20 March 2007, New York, lot 117 (sold for USD 18,000 or approx. EUR 24,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare a related bronze hanging votive plaque (kakebotoke) with Daitoku Myo-o, Kamakura to Nanbokucho period, 14th century, 33 cm diameter, at Bonhams, Fine Japanese Works of Art, 16 March 2016, New York, lot 3022 (sold for USD 10,000 or approx. EUR 12,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).