A GILT AND POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURE OF FUDO MYO-O (ACALA), LATE MUROMACHI-EARLY EDO PERIOD

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A GILT AND POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURE OF FUDO MYO-O (ACALA), LATE MUROMACHI-EARLY EDO PERIOD Japan, 16th-17th century, late Muromachi (1333-1573) to early Edo period (1615-1868) Finely carved and richly decorated in gilt lacquer and polychrome pigments to depict the wrathful Fudo Myo-o with the soft figure of a youth but with a stern facial expression, seated cross-legged, wearing a sash across his chest and a loose-fitting dhoti gathering in skillfully carved folds at the legs, a kurikara (Buddhist sword) held in the right hand and a weighted rope in the left, the body adorned with beaded and petaled jewelry, the face with intense eyes, furrowed brows, and fangs protruding from his clenched mouth, the hair arranged in wavy curls swept to one side in a braid down the left shoulder and surmounted by a golden lotus pod. HEIGHT 28 cm In Esoteric (Shingon) Buddhism, Fudo Myo-o (the Immovable One) is the most powerful of the Five Myo-o (Bright Kings), fierce forms of the Five Wisdom Buddhas, each embodying their power against evil. From at least the 9th century, these Five Myo-o were revered collectively in Japan, with Fudo often depicted as the central figure. He also served as the primary icon in the Goma-do hall of Shingon temples. Fudo Myo-o is worshiped as a wrathful manifestation of Dainichi, the Buddha at the heart of the Buddhist cosmos. A tenacious protector of Buddhist teachings, Fudo is armed with a lasso and sword to subdue negative forces. In keeping with scriptural descriptions, this example portrays a full-bodied, menacing figure biting his lower lip, with his hair bound and falling over his left shoulder. Auction comparison: Compare a related polychrome wood figure of a standing Fudo Myo-o, dated to the Muromachi period, 16th century, 35 cm high, at Christie’s, 22 September 2004, New York, lot 229 (sold for USD 7,767 or approx. EUR 11,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). Compare a related polychrome wood figure of Fudo Myo-o seated on a tiered base, dated 15th-16th century, Muromachi period, 32.4 cm high, at Bonhams, 11 September 2019, New York, lot 555 (sold for USD 27,575 or approx. EUR 30,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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