Shaka Nyorai caminante de los períodos Edo-Meiji, en santuario zushi miniatura con fondo dorado, madera dorada y policromada, figura de 12 cm

A compact gilt and polychrome Buddhist icon housed within a gold-ground cabinet shrine, made for domestic devotion: a private threshold object that opens from concealment into radiance. The walking form of Shaka Nyorai shows awakening in motion, approaching the viewer and accompanying daily life.

The Piece

Iconography suggests Shaka Nyorai, Shakyamuni, the historical Buddha, in gyozo or walking form. The walking image carries a distinct devotional mood: awakening not only enthroned in teaching but moving toward the viewer. In home practice Shaka is approached as the clarifying teacher, steady, lucid and compassionate, and in a household setting that sense of approach and companionship can matter as much as doctrinal symbolism.

A zushi is a cabinet-shrine that protects and conceals a sacred image. Opening the doors becomes part of the ritual, from concealment to revelation, and historically zushi made icons safer to transport and easier to keep at home. Here the gold interior acts as a miniature light chamber, amplifying the figure's silhouette and presence.

The piece shows extensive age and use, with restoration traces and surface losses, and is best read as a devotional survivor rather than a pristine decorative object. That honest wear is part of its authority: evidence of being opened, moved and relied upon. It sits at the intersection of Buddhist sculpture and domestic culture, offering a human-scale connection to household Buddhism, pilgrimage culture and the intimate scale of devotion.

Details

• Era: Edo to Meiji era (conservative attribution)
• Origin: Japan
• Material: Carved wood core with lacquer/gesso ground, gilding and pigments (inferred); wooden cabinet with gold-toned interior
• Iconography: Shaka Nyorai in gyozo (walking) form
• Measurements: Figure approx. H 12.0 cm; W 6.5 cm; D 6.5 cm · Zushi approx. H 21.5 cm; W 12.5 cm; D 11.5 cm
• HS code: 9703.00 (original sculptures and statuary) when declared as an art object; alternatively 4420 (statuettes and ornaments of wood) as a decorative wood article, according to destination and declared purpose

Condition

• Extensive age and use, with restoration traces and surface losses.
• Repairs and multiple areas of flaking and loss are noted; please review all photographs.

Authenticity & Care

Unsigned and apparently workshop-made; positioned conservatively as Edo to Meiji domestic devotional work from its format, finishing and zushi construction, with exact dating requiring physical inspection of wood species, lacquer strata, tool marks and joinery. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Packed by hand in Japan and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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