Sculpture - Wood - Bodhisattva - Gentle polychrome wooden sculpture the Bodhisattva Jizô in the guise of a serene monk. - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)

Wooden sculpture of a standing Jizô Bosatsu 地蔵菩薩 (The Bodhisattva Jizô) with his hands in the Namaskara-mudra. The Namaskara-mudra is a gesture of greeting, prayer, and adoration. Here, the bodhisattva Jizō takes the guise of an monk. His robes are coloured in red, green, brown and blue tones, some areas detailed with an intricate vine motif. He is looking straight ahead in the distance with a very serene and meditative look on his face. The eyes are delicately inlaid with glass. The wooden base with a rounded down edge on top and rock-like appliques on the sides. In unrestored, as is, condition. Several places with traces of age and wear. The base with some old wood worm traces. Some of the rock-like appliques are missing. Please see the photos as a reference to its condition. Despite the defects, the sculpture is still a pleasure to behold, due to the craftsmanship and great details. Jizō Bosatsu in Japanese or Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in Sanskrit is one of the most beloved of all Japanese divinities, Jizō works to ease the suffering and shorten the sentence of those serving time in hell, to deliver the faithful into Amida’s western paradise, and to answer the prayers of the living for health, success, children, and all manner of mundane petitions. In modern Japan, Jizō is a savior par excellence, a friend to all, never frightening even to children, and his/her many manifestations -- often cute and cartoon-like in contemporary times -- incorporate Taoist, Buddhist, and Shintō elements. (from Onmarkproductions. com) Sizes sculpture: Height 54 cm, Width 19. 5 cm. Depth 12 cm. Sizes including base: Height 69 cm, Width 35 cm. Depth 25 cm. When shipped we will add a certificate of authenticity.