Otani-ha Guden-Style Gold Butsudan Altar Cabinet — Large-Format Domestic Shrine Architecture (109h x 104w x 47d cm) — Estate / Temple Annex Scale

Curatorial Overview

This is not “furniture.” It is domestic Buddhist architecture: a temple-derived interior designed to host a living devotional environment inside the home. In the Otani-ha tradition of Jodo Shinshu (the Higashi Hongan-ji lineage), the altar is an arranged space where doctrine becomes spatial order—centrality, height, luminosity, and layered thresholds that guide attention toward the principal axis of reverence.

The defining feature here is the guden (palace) form: a miniature sanctuary built into the cabinet. Rooflines, bracket-like projections, multi-tiered staging, and symmetrical vertical structures echo the logic of a temple interior at household scale. Large guden-style examples preserve a pre-downsizing domestic standard where the altar was allowed to be architectural—an anchored environment rather than a compact object.

At estate-grade scale (109 cm tall and 104 cm wide), this altar is intended for permanent placement and long-term stewardship. It supports a clear hierarchy: an elevated central sanctum for the principal object of reverence, flanking positions for doctrinal accompaniments, and a functional offering tier below—where incense, light, and floral offerings define daily practice. The lower cabinet is the continuity infrastructure of the altar—storage for ritual implements and textiles, and ballast for stability.

Construction is layered and interdependent: a wooden structural carcass, lacquer build, extensive gold surface work, carved relief elements, and protective or ornamental metal fittings. This layering is also why pickup-only restriction is rational. Large guden altars have many impact catch points (roof finials, projecting edges, relief corners). Even modest shocks can cause localized lifting, dulling, micro-cracking, or deformation. These objects require crating, bracing, and a cargo-first mindset.

Identification

• Category: Butsudan altar cabinet (large-format architectural)
• Sect alignment (seller-stated): Otani-ha, Jodo Shinshu (Higashi lineage)
• Style: Guden (palace sanctuary architecture)
• Manufacture (seller-stated): Domestic Japanese production

Dimensions

• Height: 109 cm
• Width: 104 cm
• Depth: 47 cm
• Scale category: Estate domestic / small temple annex

Architectural Structure & Ritual Logic

• Upper sanctum: Temple-derived inner-hall logic with layered roofline geometry and symmetrical structures.
• Central axis: Designed to privilege the principal object of reverence.
• Flanking zones: Positions for doctrinal accompaniments (not decorative fillers).
• Offering tier: Operational surface for incense, light, and floral offerings.
• Lower cabinet: Stability + continuity storage system for implements and textiles.

Materials & Craft

• Wood structural carcass (skeleton)
• Lacquer build (hardness and adhesion base)
• Gold surface work across relief geometry
• Carved ornamental components with projecting edges
• Metal fittings at corners / stress points (decorative + protective)

Fragility note: Gold and lacquer surfaces are shock-sensitive, particularly at roof finials and relief peaks. Cargo-only logistics and professional crating are required.

Condition

Estate disclosure indicates a used household altar with minor scratches and soiling and an explicit fragility warning. This is consistent with a ritual life rather than neglect. No restoration claims are made. All assessments should be verified in-hand at pickup and intake.

Placement Requirements

• Stable load-bearing floor
• Clearance for door opening and kneeling space
• Controlled humidity (best for lacquer stability)
• Fixed placement recommended once installed

Shipping & Logistics (Cargo-Only)

This piece is pickup-only at origin, confirming parcel shipping is not viable. It must be professionally crated and shipped via freight.

• Estimated net weight: 60–85 kg
• Estimated crated weight: 120–160 kg
• Estimated crate size: approx. 130 x 125 x 90 cm

US Landed Cost Model (Estimates)

• Japan domestic transport: 
• Export crating & handling: 
• International ocean LCL freight: 
• US port + clearance + inland delivery: 
• Total estimated US landed cost: ≈ $6,130 – $10,400 USD

Insurance posture: insure for replacement value; photograph at intake, pre-crate, sealed crate, and arrival.

Collector’s Resonance

This altar is for stewards, not decorators. Its scale and guden density preserve a pre-minimalist Shinshu domestic architectural standard. For the right household, estate, or annex, it becomes a multi-decade anchor object—fixed interior architecture that can hold continuity across generations.

Confidence & Verification Notes

• Sect alignment, style, and dimensions are treated as seller-stated.
• Gold surface type (leaf vs foil substitute) cannot be proven from photos alone.
• Workshop attribution and exact dating are not claimed without documentation.
• Stylistic dating posture only: likely mid-to-late Showa ceremonial production (conservative).