A PAIR OF POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURES OF NIO GUARDIANS, EDO PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
A PAIR OF POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURES OF NIO GUARDIANS, EDO PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 213, NA 2002, Japanese pair of temple guardians 18th c.”
Gallery price: EUR 17,000 or approx.
EUR 28,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Japan. Each powerfully carved and decorated with pigment to depict two Nio guardians, each standing in a dynamic pose atop a rock. The faces exhibit a wrathful expression: one figure has its mouth open, both raising one hand and wearing flowing robes encircled by scarves, their intense eyes inlaid with reverse-painted glass. Their hair is finely incised, styled into a high chignon and secured by a headband. (2)
Provenance: Nagel Auctions, Germany, 2002. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 24 years.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Overall good condition with expected wear, age cracks and flaking to lacquer with associated minor losses and few minor repairs. Displaying exceptionally well.
Weight: 20.7 kg and 21.8 kg
Dimensions: Height 104.5 cm and 106 cm
Nio or Kongorikishi are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism in the form of frightening wrestler-like statues. They are dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapani, the oldest and most powerful deity of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. According to Japanese tradition, they traveled with Gautama Buddha to protect him. Within the generally pacifist tradition of Buddhism, stories of dharmapalas justified the use of physical force to protect cherished values and beliefs against evil. Nio are also seen as a manifestation of Mahasthamaprapta, the bodhisattva of power that flanks Amitabha in Pure Land Buddhism and as Vajrasattva in Tibetan Buddhism. They are usually a pair of figures that stand under a separate temple entrance gate, called Niomon in Japan.
Guhyapada (Japanese: Misshaku Kongo) is a symbol of overt violence: he wields a vajra mallet and bares his teeth. His mouth is depicted as being in the shape necessary to form the 'ha' or 'ah' sound, wherefore he is also known as Agyo in Japan.
Narayana (Naraen Kongo) is depicted either bare-handed or wielding a sword. He symbolizes latent strength, holding his mouth tightly shut. His mouth is rendered to form the sound 'huṃ', 'heng', or 'un'. He is also referred to as Ungyo in Japanese due to his closed mouth.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 11 September 2019, lot 856
Mid-Estimate: USD 35,000 or approx.
EUR 40,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of wood figures of Nio (temple guardians), Edo period, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, polychrome decoration, and subject. Note the similar size of the figures (76.2 cm) as well as the missing base and scarves.
Buyer's Premium
30%
A PAIR OF POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURES OF NIO GUARDIANS, EDO PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve
The Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger, entry from 2005:
“No. 213, NA 2002, Japanese pair of temple guardians 18th c.”
Gallery price: EUR 17,000 or approx.
EUR 28,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Japan. Each powerfully carved and decorated with pigment to depict two Nio guardians, each standing in a dynamic pose atop a rock. The faces exhibit a wrathful expression: one figure has its mouth open, both raising one hand and wearing flowing robes encircled by scarves, their intense eyes inlaid with reverse-painted glass. Their hair is finely incised, styled into a high chignon and secured by a headband. (2)
Provenance: Nagel Auctions, Germany, 2002. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 24 years.
Jorgen Ruben is a Danish art dealer and collector who has been active for over four decades and is highly regarded in the fields of Asian art and classical antiquities. Raised in an art-conscious family, Ruben was exposed early to both modern painting and European decorative arts. He began working in the art trade in the mid-1970s, first with Persian rugs and later with antiques, while travels to Iran and a visit to Persepolis sparked his lasting interest in antiquity. After studies in Copenhagen and London, he worked in England with a dealer in early furniture, before travelling widely in Latin America and Asia, deepening his knowledge of regional art and culture. In 1984 Ruben opened a gallery in Copenhagen dealing in Asian antiquities. He was later active in London and, in the early 2000s, operated the Brussels gallery Classic Art. Much of his career, however, has been conducted privately from home, selling by appointment to collectors, galleries, and museums. Ruben has always bought selectively, choosing only works that deeply engaged him, and often keeping them for many years until placing them with a collector he felt truly understood them.
Important Note: For essential information on the
Jorgen Ruben Gallery Ledger and provenance documentation please visit here: www.zacke.at/rubencollection_ledger
Condition: Overall good condition with expected wear, age cracks and flaking to lacquer with associated minor losses and few minor repairs. Displaying exceptionally well.
Weight: 20.7 kg and 21.8 kg
Dimensions: Height 104.5 cm and 106 cm
Nio or Kongorikishi are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism in the form of frightening wrestler-like statues. They are dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapani, the oldest and most powerful deity of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. According to Japanese tradition, they traveled with Gautama Buddha to protect him. Within the generally pacifist tradition of Buddhism, stories of dharmapalas justified the use of physical force to protect cherished values and beliefs against evil. Nio are also seen as a manifestation of Mahasthamaprapta, the bodhisattva of power that flanks Amitabha in Pure Land Buddhism and as Vajrasattva in Tibetan Buddhism. They are usually a pair of figures that stand under a separate temple entrance gate, called Niomon in Japan.
Guhyapada (Japanese: Misshaku Kongo) is a symbol of overt violence: he wields a vajra mallet and bares his teeth. His mouth is depicted as being in the shape necessary to form the 'ha' or 'ah' sound, wherefore he is also known as Agyo in Japan.
Narayana (Naraen Kongo) is depicted either bare-handed or wielding a sword. He symbolizes latent strength, holding his mouth tightly shut. His mouth is rendered to form the sound 'huṃ', 'heng', or 'un'. He is also referred to as Ungyo in Japanese due to his closed mouth.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams New York, 11 September 2019, lot 856
Mid-Estimate: USD 35,000 or approx.
EUR 40,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of wood figures of Nio (temple guardians), Edo period, 17th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, polychrome decoration, and subject. Note the similar size of the figures (76.2 cm) as well as the missing base and scarves.
Buyer's Premium
30%
