A PAIR OF POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURES OF NIO (TEMPLE GUARDIANS), EDO PERIOD, 17TH-18TH CENTURY
A PAIR OF POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURES OF NIO (TEMPLE 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. 361, AH 1999, Pair of Japanese Temple Guardians Edo 17th-18th c.”
Gallery price: EUR 4,400 or approx.
EUR 7,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Japan. Each finely carved atop an integral craggy-rock form stand and decorated with gesso and pigment to depict a Nio guardian, Agyo with the mouth open, holding a lantern-form mallet in his raised left hand, his right hand lowered with the palm facing down, Ungyo with the mouth closed, his right hand in a protective gesture with the palm facing forward, akin to the abhaya mudra, the left clasped in a tight fist near the waist. Both are wearing flowing skirts with deeply carved folds, gathered at the waist revealing their strong muscular bodies, framed by loose jackets with large foliate embosses to the shoulder. Their faces showing fierce expressions and well detailed with thick brows, strong cheeks, and large glass eyes with painted irises, and the hair drawn up into a high chignon. (2)
Provenance: Anders Holmström, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 1999. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 27 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, minor losses, small chips, age cracks and flaking to lacquer, minor touchups, few old fills, some joints reinforced.
Weight: 2.4 kg and 2.2 kg
Dimensions: Height 54 cm and 53.8 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, usually 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: Christie's London, 28 July 2015, lot 12
Price: GBP 5,625 or approx.
EUR 9,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of wood nio (temple guardian), Edo period, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, lacquering, and subject. Note the size (64 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
A PAIR OF POLYCHROME WOOD FIGURES OF NIO (TEMPLE 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. 361, AH 1999, Pair of Japanese Temple Guardians Edo 17th-18th c.”
Gallery price: EUR 4,400 or approx.
EUR 7,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing.
Japan. Each finely carved atop an integral craggy-rock form stand and decorated with gesso and pigment to depict a Nio guardian, Agyo with the mouth open, holding a lantern-form mallet in his raised left hand, his right hand lowered with the palm facing down, Ungyo with the mouth closed, his right hand in a protective gesture with the palm facing forward, akin to the abhaya mudra, the left clasped in a tight fist near the waist. Both are wearing flowing skirts with deeply carved folds, gathered at the waist revealing their strong muscular bodies, framed by loose jackets with large foliate embosses to the shoulder. Their faces showing fierce expressions and well detailed with thick brows, strong cheeks, and large glass eyes with painted irises, and the hair drawn up into a high chignon. (2)
Provenance: Anders Holmström, Copenhagen, Denmark, by 1999. Jorgen Ruben, acquired from the above. In the Jorgen Ruben Collection for 27 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, minor losses, small chips, age cracks and flaking to lacquer, minor touchups, few old fills, some joints reinforced.
Weight: 2.4 kg and 2.2 kg
Dimensions: Height 54 cm and 53.8 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, usually 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: Christie's London, 28 July 2015, lot 12
Price: GBP 5,625 or approx.
EUR 9,300 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of wood nio (temple guardian), Edo period, 19th century
Expert remark: Compare the closely related modeling, manner of carving, lacquering, and subject. Note the size (64 cm).
Buyer's Premium
30%
