Statue (1) - Wood, Metal - Monk, Samurai - Japanese statue of a Christian monk, Edo period, during the evangelisation of Japan Shogun / Samurai - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)

Japanese statue of a Christian monk, Edo period, during the evangelization of Japan by the Europeans, belonging to a shogun or a high-ranking samurai. Museum piece. From the stay of Francis Xavier (1549-1551) to the great Christian revolt of Shimabara-Amakusa (1637-1638) , Christianity was a major element in Japanese society as it moved from the Middle Ages (the seventeenth and sixteenth centuries) to the modern age (the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries) . In other words, throughout the first half of this 'Christian century', the Japanese welcomed European missionaries, their Catholic religion and their culture with the greatest openness; in the second half of the century, the edicts of proscription of Christianity of 1612-1614 did not immediately limit the influence of Christian civilization in the archipelago. This wooden statue represents a lesser Christian dressed in a tunic, in a static position. His left hand holds the bible against his body, and his right arm and hand point to the sky. There are traces of polychromy, and the statue is treated in relief with incisions, and the base is ovoid. Two metal pieces on the back of the statue are visible. The statue could be part of a larger statuary work. This statue could have belonged to a samurai or a shogun who converted to Christianity. Family treasure. Delivery: Express delivery worldwide with insurance. **