A LARGE LACQUER WOOD ZUSHI (PORTABLE SHRINE) CONTAINING... Lot n° 6

A LARGE LACQUER WOOD ZUSHI (PORTABLE SHRINE) CONTAINING FUDO MYO-O, LATE EDO Japan, late Edo period (1615-1868) The exterior of the shrine lacquered black with gilt-metal fittings. The hinged doors are gold-lacquered on the interior and open to reveal a figure of Fudo Myo-o (Acala), the fierce protector of the Buddhist Law, enveloped in a fire kohai (aureole). The figure stands atop a stepped plinth decorated with lotus blossoms and two wheels of dharma. He is holding his sword in one hand and a noose (pasa) in the other hand, wearing a three-strand necklace with a stern expression on his face. The figure is flanked by two slender columns supporting a shaped canopy decorated with a sinuous dragon and an openwork ho-o bird. HEIGHT (total) 60 cm Condition: Good condition with wear, expected age cracks, typical losses to the lacquering, minor losses, and old repairs. The attributes of Fudo have likely been replaced. Presenting very well. Fudo Myo-o (Acala) was one of the five kings of wisdom, and was brought to Japan by the Buddhist monk Kukai, who founded the Shingon school of Buddhism. He was seen as a powerful vanquisher of evil, the protector of the imperial court and nation, and the personal guardian of the prominent priests Kukai, Kakuban, Ennin, Enchin, and Soo. The daimyo Takeda Shingen took Fudo Myo-o as his patron when he became a monk, and is said to have commissioned a statue of Fudo modelled after his face.