Butsudan Guden de dos niveles de Otani-ha, estructura de laca negra con santuario dorado, altar residencial sin usar, 161 cm

Dark outer casing, radiant inner world: this two-tier guden butsudan is a whole Shinshu sanctuary ordered from base to summit. Rising to 161 cm and preserved in unused display condition, it belongs to the scale of great family houses and temple annexes, built to stay in place and serve generation after generation.

The Piece

This altar presents as a complete, vertically resolved Shinshu domestic sanctuary, executed in a two-tier guden architectural format. Its proportions, surface treatment and internal hierarchy indicate a piece conceived for permanent placement and long-term ritual continuity rather than casual domestic use.

Rising to approximately 161 cm, it occupies the spatial register of estate-level household worship or temple-annex installation. The exterior is finished in deep black lacquer, a restrained architectural envelope, while the interior unfolds into a luminous gold sanctum. This contrast follows Otani-ha visual logic: the exterior withdraws, and the interior opens toward a concentrated devotional environment.

The guden structure functions as miniature temple architecture. Roofed sanctum geometry, layered platforms and symmetrical vertical alignment organize attention toward the central axis; the elevated upper sanctum houses the principal devotional focus, staged offering platforms receive incense, light and flowers, and the lower tier integrates ritual storage and structural ballast. Internal depth and tier separation let the altar operate as a lived environment rather than a display cabinet.

This is an altar designed to be inhabited ritually. Its doors open wide onto a complete interior cosmos, with fittings, platforms and relief elements proportioned for daily use, seasonal care and generational continuity; its architectural density recalls Shinshu domestic altars that retained temple-derived ambition before modern reductions in scale.

Materially it is an interdependent craft object of wood construction, lacquer finishing, gold interior treatment, relief ornament and metal fittings at structural and visual nodes. Those layered surfaces are also why handling must be disciplined: projecting edges and fitted corners are impact-sensitive and call for crating, bracing and cargo-first logistics. It suits stewards seeking a complete, uncompromised sanctuary able to absorb ritual life over decades.

Details

• Line: Otani-ha, Jodo Shinshu (Higashi lineage); two-tier guden (palace-style sanctuary)
• Material: Wood construction; black lacquer exterior; gold interior surface treatment; relief ornament and metal fittings
• Color: Deep black lacquer exterior, gold sanctum
• Measurements: Total height approx. 161.0 cm (upper approx. 124.6 cm; lower approx. 36.4 cm) · Width (maximum) approx. 66.0 cm (lower approx. 65.5 cm) · Depth approx. 55.5 cm · Door opening width approx. 59.7 cm · Door open clearance approx. 120 cm
• Category: Butsudan (architectural altar cabinet); fixed domestic shrine, estate domestic / temple-annex class

Condition

Japonista grade S · Unworn or as new, complete with original packaging.

• Unused display condition (deadstock), with surfaces, fittings and interior elements showing clarity consistent with controlled storage.
• Lacquer and gold surfaces appear intact, with no visible compromise to structural geometry.
• Preservation: controlled handling (avoid shock), humidity stability, gentle dust management with non-abrasive materials, and no direct sunlight or heat sources near lacquer and gilt surfaces.

Freight & Crating

Because of its height, mass and architectural fragility, the altar travels by cargo or freight with professional crating rather than by standard parcel services such as EMS or express couriers. Crating, reinforced packing and coordination with freight consolidators and export brokers mean delivery typically takes 6 to 10 weeks, depending on routing, carrier availability and customs clearance. Part of the expected freight cost may be reflected in the price; any difference is quoted separately once destination and handling requirements are confirmed, and a customized quotation is recommended before purchase.

• Weight estimates: net 90–120 kg; crated 160–220 kg
• Crate approx. 140 × 85 × 100 cm
• Insurance recommended at replacement value
• Estimated US landed cost (Japan transport, export crating, ocean LCL freight, port clearance and inland delivery): approx. $6,800–$9,330 USD
• HS code guidance: 9403.60 (other wooden furniture); brokers' alternates 9403.89 and 4420.10; final selection confirmed with the customs broker at shipment

Authenticity & Care

Sect alignment and guden form are consistent with Otani-ha Shinshu standards and the gold interior follows Pure Land visual convention; dating is conservative and stylistic only, with no period claimed without documentation. Every piece is examined and documented in Japan before dispatch and is offered with the Japonista authenticity guarantee.

Delivery from Japan

Crated in Japan and shipped insured by air or sea freight. A freight quote is confirmed with you before dispatch through our Museum-Grade Logistics Suite™. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Returns follow our published policy.

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