AN IMPRESSIVE LARGE PAIR OF LACQUERED WOOD FIGURES OF ZENKI AND KOKI, LATE EDO PERIOD

拍品描述

AN IMPRESSIVE LARGE PAIR OF LACQUERED WOOD FIGURES OF ZENKI AND KOKI, LATE EDO PERIOD Japan, late Edo period (1615–1868) Boldly carved and richly lacquered in red and gilt, this imposing pair depicts Zenki and Koki, the legendary attendants of the ascetic monk En no Gyōja. Each figure is seated in a dynamic pose: Zenki with one leg raised and the other bent beneath him, holding a vase, while Koki sits with both legs tucked beneath his body, grasping an axe. Zenki is dressed in a monk’s robe secured with a belt at the waist, while Koki’s muscular torso is partially exposed beneath a kariginu-style garment falling in deeply carved folds between his legs. Both figures are rendered with dramatic, almost demonic expressions, their furrowed brows, bulging eyes, and powerful features conveying their supernatural nature. Koki is further characterized by sharp fangs, while both figures have thickly modeled hair arranged in curling strands. The surfaces retain extensive traces of the original red lacquer and gilt decoration. HEIGHT 63.5 cm and 65 cm Zenki and Koki are the legendary attendants of En no Gyōja (also known as En no Ozunu), the semi-mythical founder of Shugendō, the Japanese tradition of mountain asceticism combining Buddhist, Shinto, and esoteric practices. Traditionally depicted as powerful supernatural beings under the command of the enlightened ascetic, they embody the protective and transformative forces associated with Shugendō. Zenki and Koki are often shown as a complementary pair, representing the union of strength and spiritual discipline, and were frequently placed at sacred sites as guardians of the mountain paths and teachings. Museum comparison: Compare two closely related lacquered wood figures of Zenki and Koki, dated to the 15th century, Muromachi period (1392–1573), in the Cleveland Museum of Art, accession no. 2012.40.

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