A FINE LACQUER ZUSHI (PORTABLE SHRINE) WITH BENZAITEN AND HER FIFTEEN ATTENDANTS, LATE EDO TO MEIJI PERIOD

拍品描述

A FINE LACQUER ZUSHI (PORTABLE SHRINE) WITH BENZAITEN AND HER FIFTEEN ATTENDANTS, LATE EDO TO MEIJI PERIOD Japan, 19th century, late Edo period (1615–1868) to Meiji period (1868–1912) The finely carved and polychrome lacquered interior of the zushi enshrines the eight-armed Buddhist manifestation of Benzaiten, the goddess of music, eloquence, wealth, and good fortune. She is depicted seated upon a dragon emerging from scrolling clouds, holding an array of auspicious attributes and weapons, with a torii forming her distinctive headdress, symbolizing the syncretic union of Buddhist and Shinto traditions. Benzaiten is accompanied by the principal members of her retinue: Dakiniten riding a fox and Bishamonten to her right, with Kichijōten and Daikokuten to her left. Below them are the fifteen dōji attendants of Benzaiten, each individually carved and painted, most accompanied by inscribed name plaques and holding their respective attributes. The figures are arranged around a central waterfall, creating a richly layered sacred landscape. The exterior of the shrine is finished in lustrous black lacquer and fitted with gilt-copper mounts finely chased with floral motifs against a ring-punched ground. HEIGHT 49.5 cm (the zushi) HEIGHT 13.5 cm (the tallest figure) Representations of Benzaiten accompanied by her fifteen attendants became especially popular from the Muromachi period onwards. As her cult developed, Benzaiten was increasingly associated not only with eloquence and artistic accomplishment but also with prosperity and worldly fortune; during the medieval period, the character zai (財, wealth) came to replace the earlier meaning of zai (才, talent) in her name, reflecting this expanded role. The fifteen attendants, known as dōji (童子), are traditionally identified as Inyaku Dōji, Kantai Dōji, Hikken Dōji, Konzai Dōji, Inamomi Dōji, Keishō Dōji, Hanki Dōji, Isho Dōji, Sanyō Dōji, Shusen Dōji, Aikyō Dōji, Shōmyō Dōji, Jusha Dōji, Gyūba Dōji, and Sensha Dōji. Museum comparison: Compare a related zushi of Benzaiten and her fifteen dōji attendants in Ensenji Temple, Hanno, Saitama Prefecture. Compare also a large group of Benzaiten and her fifteen attendants, dated 17th–18th century and measuring 113 cm in height, preserved at Shōgon Jōdo-ji Temple, Osaka. Auction comparison: Compare a related lacquer zushi with the Thirteen Buddhas, 19th century, sold at Sotheby’s, Saturday at Sotheby’s: Asian Art, New York, 23 March 2019, lot 1682 (sold for USD 25,000 or approx. EUR 28,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing).

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