Page 55 - 2019 September 11th Bonhams Lewis Collection Japanese and Korean Art NYC

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A WOOD FIGURE OF ONE OF THE JUNI SHINSHO (12 DIVINE carry an identifying weapon; from the Kamakura period onwards
GENERALS) (although not in this case) they were also frequently associated
Kamakura period (1185-1333), 13th/14th century with the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac. The posture and
The dynamic figure, perhaps of Haira, shown dressed in Chinese- the position of the hands of the present lot suggest that the figure
style armor and standing on a rock base, the right arm extended out may once have held a bow in the right hand and drew back the
to the side and the left hand held at chest level, the sleeves, sash bowstring with the left; although the weapons carried by each of
and hem of his garment fluttering as it is blown by the wind, the eyes the Divine Generals varied over time, it is worth noting that Butsuzo
inlaid in reverse-painted glass, some traces of lacquer and gilt in the zui (Collected Illustrations of Buddhist Images), a woodblock-
crevices of the armor printed illustrated book published in 1690, includes a set of the 12
20 1/8in (51cm) high, figure only, 21 5/8in (55cm) high overall Generals in which it is Haira who carries a bow; see http://www.lib.
ehime-u.ac.jp/SUZUKA/316/index.html, p. 64. In purely sculptural
$15,000-25,000 terms, the present figure appears to belong within a stylistic lineage
most famously represented by a set of 12 in the dynamic manner
established by the great Nara sculptor Unkei (died 1223)—now
Provenance shared between Tokyo National Museum and the Seikado Bunko
Purchased from Hiroshi Yanagi Oriental Art, Kyoto, 2015 Art Museum—that were originally enshrined at Kyoto’s Joruriji
Temple; compare http://www.seikado.or.jp/collection/sculpture/001.
Followers and protectors of the Yakushi (Medicine Master) Buddha, html and https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_collection/index.
the 12 Divine Generals typically each wear Chinese-style armor and php?controller=dtl&colid=C1853.

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF DRS. EDMUND AND JULIE LEWIS | 53