† A FINE PAIR OF WOOD OKIMONO OF NIO TEMPLE GUARDIANS (KONGORISHIKI), SCHOOL OF ROKKO

拍品描述

† A FINE PAIR OF WOOD OKIMONO OF NIO TEMPLE GUARDIANS (KONGORISHIKI), SCHOOL OF ROKKO School of Rokko, unsigned Japan, Meiji period (1868-1912) Each powerfully modeled and standing in a dynamic pose atop a rock, placed on an oval base raised on four feet. Their sides are finely incised with a hanabishi (flowering vine) band. The faces exhibit a wrathful expression: one figure has its mouth open, raising its hand while holding a vajra in the other, while the second figure holds a ken sword aloft. Both wear flowing robes adorned with beaded jewelry. Their hair is styled into a high chignon and secured by a jewel-form headdress. The carving is superb, with exceptional detail across the entire figure, including boldly formed muscular bulges throughout the bodies. The wood is richly stained, all characteristics that align with the carvings of Rokko and his followers. HEIGHT (each) 23 cm Though unsigned, this pair is attributable to the school of Rokko, a highly skilled carver active during the Meiji period. Rokko was renowned for his exceptional carving of both netsuke and okimono, with a distinctive style known for its dynamic, expressive figures, particularly those depicting powerful mythological beings such as Nio guardians or oni. The Nio or Kongorikishi are wrathful, muscular guardians of the Buddha, typically positioned at the entrance of Buddhist temples in East Asia. These figures, resembling fierce wrestler-like statues, are dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapani, the oldest and most powerful deity in the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. According to Japanese tradition, they traveled with Gautama Buddha to protect him. Within the generally pacifist tradition of Buddhism, the Nio justify the use of physical force to protect core values against evil. The Nio are also seen as manifestations of Mahasthamaprapta, the bodhisattva of power, flanking Amitabha in Pure Land Buddhism, and as Vajrasattva in Tibetan Buddhism. These figures typically stand under a separate temple entrance gate called Niomon in Japan. Auction comparison: Compare a closely related pair of wood okimono depicting nio guardians, 17.6 and 18.2 cm high, by Rokko, Meiji period, at Woolley & Wallis, Japanese Works of Art, 13 November 2025, Salisbury, lot 796 (sold for GBP 15,240 or approx. EUR 17,800 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing). 13% VAT will be added to the hammer price additional to the buyer's premium - only for buyers within the EU.

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