Japanese Altar In Gilded Lacquered Wood. Buddhist Trinity 15th And 18th Century.

Buddha in black lacquered wood, gilded with gold powder, The layer of urushi is very thick, despite the centuries it has remained intact, still adhering perfectly to the wood, it is worn, split but no place is chipped, a sign of the excellence of the lacquer artists of medieval Japan. The divinity is represented standing, she is amputated of her hands and feet which does not harm her aestheticism. It was carved in a block made up of 3 pieces of a light wood, probably Inuki, we can indeed see the traces of the 2 assemblies at the level of the shoulders. The sculpture is simple and energetic. The artist went to the essential and breathed into his work power rigor and sobriety. The square base, very simple is certainly from the same period very probably Muromachi but perhaps Nambokucho or around the 15th century. In the Edo period an altar was created to receive the Buddha. Two kwanon were placed at his sides, each seated on a lotus supported by a Buddhist lion. They were carved from a single block of light wood, probably Inuki, and gilded with gold powder. The carving is excellent, the eyes barely perceptible between the slits of the eyelids, are in mica, glass or painted crystal. Only a humble position. The jewelry is in copper or gilded bronze that would need to be cleaned. The base is carved with waves, clouds, chrysanthemums and rabbits. The whole ensemble is of the best quality. There are many accidents of which we can give all the details. Split, chipped or worn lacquer, small losses, loss of jewelry, but fortunately no clumsy repairs. Although this style of altar is from the Edo period (17th to 19th century) it is difficult to date it more precisely. On the back of the glory of a Kwanon are drawn some Chinese characters, giving indications, which we have not interpreted, perhaps a date. However, the appearance of the wood simply painted with lotus petals, not protected by the lacquer from the deterioration of time, corresponds to a painted wood well before the 19th century. We will therefore date it from the 18th century or before. 65x58x19cm This is an exceptional altar.