A VERY LARGE (130 CM) GILT-LACQUERED WOOD FIGURE OF AMIDA NYORAI, 18TH CENTURY
Lot 180 - JPN1225

Japan, 18^th century, Edo period (1615-1868)

Of yosegi (jointed) construction, finely carved and lacquered in gold, black, and red, the figure standing in samabhanga and firmly mounted on a separately carved lotus dais, itself supported on an elaborate, tiered hexagonal stand, decorated with lotus petals and rectangular panels containing openwork scrolling tendrils. His right hand raised in raigo-in (vitarka mudra) and his left lowered in similar mudra. He is clad in a loosely draped monastic robe opening at the chest and cascading in voluminous folds from his shoulders. The rounded face, serene in expression, distinguished by downcast eyes beneath gently arched brows, centered by a prominent crystal-inlaid byakugo (urna), a slender nose, and full lips, all flanked by pierced, pendulous earlobes. The hair arranged in tight curls, surmounted by a nikkei (ushnisha), and backed by a reticulated kohai (halo).

Reticulated haloes of this kind are exceedingly rare in such a well-preserved state, despite evidence of minor breakage to the halo with associated signs of restoration. Typically fashioned from thinly carved wood and lacquered openwork, they were highly vulnerable to warping, cracking, or loss over time due to their extreme fragility. Most surviving examples have either large missing sections or are simply gone completely. The present halo, however, retains its original structure and delicate pattern, with only few small losses.

HEIGHT 66 cm (figure) and 130 cm (total)

Provenance: From a private collection in the Netherlands. An old collector’s label affixed to the stand, inscribed ‘Buddha en bois, n° 131.226’.
Condition: Good condition with expected wear. Some losses and evidence of breakage to the halo with associated signs of restoration. Rubbing to gilding and pigments, as is to be expected. Scattered chips to lacquer along the edges of the stand. The nikkeishu (jewel of wisdom), typically attached to the ushnisha, missing. Overall, the figure presenting notably well.

This iconographic representation of Amida corresponds to Buddha Amitabha, a central figure in Japanese Buddhism. Worship of Amida was established in Japan during the Nara period (710–794) and became one of the principal practices taught in the Tendai school during the Heian period (794–1185). Amida is revered as the one who welcomes the faithful into the celestial realm. Despite human imperfections, those who embrace Buddhist doctrine and invoke the name of Amida at the moment of death are believed to be reborn in the Pure Land Paradise. The boat-shaped halo behind the figure symbolizes the guidance offered to devotees across the ‘ocean of suffering’.

The Raigo-in (in Sanskrit, vitarka mudra or ‘welcoming gesture’) is a hand gesture closely associated with Amida Nyorai. The deity is conventionally portrayed with the right hand raised and the left hand lowered, as exemplified in the present work. This specific gesture alludes to nine distinct variants employed by Amida in the act of receiving the departed into the Pure Land (Jodo) of Ultimate Bliss (Gokuraku). Collectively designated as Amida Kubon-in, or ‘Mudra of the Nine Levels of Rebirth’, these configurations correspond to the nine hierarchical stages of rebirth within the Pure Land, to which devotees are believed to ascend according to their spiritual attainment.

Museum comparison:
Compare a related yet smaller gilt-lacquered wood figure of Amida Nyorai with a similarly reticulated kohai, Edo period, 18th century, 68 cm high, in the Musée d’Ethnographie de Genève, accession number ETHAS 023580.

Auction comparison:
Compare a closely related gilt-lacquered wood figure of Amida of almost identical size (the figure 70 cm, total 132 cm), dated to the 18^th century, at Zacke, Fine Japanese Art, 27 May 2022, Vienna, lot 88 (sold for EUR 35,392).