Figure - Lacquered wood - A Large and Rare Polychrome Wood Figure Taishakuten, H- 66 cm - Japan - Muromachi period (1333-1573)

Rare Polychrome Wood Figure Taishakuten. Standing carving of a warrior Taishakuten, using the yosegi zukuri technique, gofun, lacquer and pigment with mother-of-pearl inlay, on an associated stand. Muromachi period (1336-1573) , ca. 16th century. Japan High 66 cm. Provenance: From the unique collection of Patrick Donald, London, UK With the original porcelain eyes (very important) and lacquer inlaid with mother of pearls . Left hand missing. Please see the photos. For its age good condition. The unique collection comes to market this November | Featuring Patrick Donald’s twin collecting passions: furniture, objects and pictures from the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras, and Japanese arms and armour and Japanese works of art | The collector created bespoke room settings within his Putney home to display his items in a series of themed assemblages | Close friends describe Patrick Donald as a ‘latterday Jacobean gentleman’ Patrick Donald the collector ‘drenched in history’ who fashioned his Putney into his own fascinating museum “My definition of a collector, is an individual whose relationship with the objects he collects, be it one piece or a hundred and one, is based on enjoyment, pride of ownership, scholarship and humility… “ Patrick Donald Patrick Donald was born in Belfast in June 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, and his family re-located to Toronto, Canada, when Donald was 14 years old. His passion for antiques was well underway before the move across the Atlantic and was triggered by visits to Belfast’s Ulster Museum; several years later he recalled that, ‘As a scabby-kneed schoolboy with my socks at half mast, I daily visited the museum in Belfast, and local antique shops, an early victim to the fascinating and beguiling lure of Antiques’. Whilst living in Canada Donald acquired a black belt in the martial art of kendo, his study of the discipline introduced him to Japanese culture, and he soon became captivated by the country’s artistic heritage, its deities and ancient rituals. In the late 1980s Patrick Donald left Canada and settled in Putney, London. He had previously worked as a graphic designer and a set designer for various studios and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, but, on his return to the UK did not need to work. Donald became a volunteer guide at Fulham Palace and here in this environment his broad interest in antiques honed in on the Jacobean period specifically. A good friend describes him as being ‘drenched in history’ – he typically walked over 100 miles a week around London discovering quirky tombs in cemeteries such as Brompton and Mortlake and visiting historic pubs. Drawing on his skills as a set designer his home became ‘a theatre of his mind’, designed to convey an impression or gestalt: the ground floor rooms housed his Jacobean pieces whilst the first floor displayed his oriental items. The bond between the original owner, and the contemporary viewer, is more powerful than with most other artefacts…’. He started collecting Japanese works of art and arms and armour whilst in Canada and attended conferences with like-minded collectors. Later he would describe the importance of this collecting area in his life, ‘Most of my most valued, life-long friendships have been initiated by a mutual interest in Japanese art and culture…Japan and its traditional artefacts become our focus when we meet’. Interestingly, despite having a highly inquisitive nature, Donald never visited Japan; a close friend explains that as his love for Japanese traditions and history was so strong he was concerned that a visit might temper this through his exposure to the inevitable realities of the modern day country. Important information. The seller guarantees that he is entitled to ship this lot. It will be professionally packed and safely send in a wooden crate by Fed. Ex. Buyers are responsible for import regulation and restrictions of their own country About us Becker Antiques is one of the most leading reputable antique dealers in the Netherlands. Becker Antiques is a name and place that speaks of excellent antiques and art, superb service and worldwide expertise. Founded in 1969 by Jan Simon Becker, Becker Antiques is based in Museum quarter, Amsterdam Old-South (Oud-Zoud) , in a magnificent five-floor townhouse build 1891, at a few minutes from “Rijksmuseum” (National Museum of Art) , the Van Gogh Museum and the famous “Royal Concertgebouw”. Becker Antiques main field covers ceramics – pottery funerary figures (dated from the Han through the Ming dynasties) , Buddhist sculptures and other Chinese works of art. Our other sections are Asian works of art – concerns objects from Japan and South East Asian countries including bronze, stone and wooden sculptures, Chinese furniture from the Qing Dynasty and of course occasional other items. For the last 50 years we have been selling antiques to museums, private collectors and dealers all over the world.