Kannon Bosatsu de pie de madera dorada del periodo Shōwa, con mandorla calada, pedestal de loto y peana escalonada

Carved in wood and finished in richly aged gilt lacquer, this standing Kannon Bosatsu rises from a layered lotus pedestal before a tall, pointed openwork mandorla of curling foliage. Some sculptures decorate a room; this one quietly reorganizes the atmosphere around it, holding the serene bodhisattva at the center of petals, vines, gold and shadow.

The Piece

Kannon, known in Sanskrit as Avalokiteshvara and elsewhere in Asia as Guanyin, embodies mercy and the willingness to hear suffering and respond to it. This figure captures that ideal without theatrical excess. The eyes are lowered, the mouth restrained, the shoulders relaxed, and the slender, elongated body stands frontally on its lotus support. Layered garments fall from the shoulders, cross the torso and descend in long overlapping folds that lead the eye down toward the feet. One hand is lowered with the palm presented outward in a gesture of benevolence; the other rises beside the chest.

The face is one of the strongest features. Gold remains luminous across forehead, cheeks, eyelids and lips while deeper patination gathers around the contours, so that light catches brow and nose and leaves the eyes in shadow. A tall pointed headdress, carrying traces of gold and ornamental carving, distinguishes the figure from images of the historical Buddha and extends the silhouette toward the mandorla, while carved jewelry at the neck and upper chest marks the princely ornament of a bodhisattva still engaged with the world.

Behind the figure rises the kohai, a tall leaf-shaped mandorla pierced with scrolling foliage, curling vines and floral forms until the background becomes almost lace-like. Against a pale wall the carving turns graphic; against dark timber it becomes mysterious, revealing itself through highlights. A smaller layered circular halo crowns the head and softens the vertical geometry, and from the side the composition reads in depth: body, halo, openwork mandorla, lotus throne and architectural base.

The bodhisattva stands on a broad lotus blossom set above a second, deeply modeled lotus whose petals radiate outward, and the whole rests on a polygonal tiered plinth that anchors the sacred form and allows the statue to stand without a separate display base. The gold is not uniform: protected areas keep richer gilding, raised edges have softened, darkened lacquer shows through and recesses hold deeper color, yielding a palette of warm ochre, burnished bronze, deep brown, blackened recesses, muted red and bright flashes of surviving gilt. The tall frontal format follows the logic of altar sculpture, and the figure thrives in low light, where a single warm side lamp reveals the face as a small point of gold.

Details

• Era: Showa period (as represented)
• Origin: Japan
• Material: Carved wood with gilt lacquer finish
• Color: Aged gold with darkened lacquer, brown and muted red tones
• Iconography: Standing Kannon Bosatsu-type devotional image; tall pointed headdress, carved jewelry, circular halo, openwork kohai mandorla
• Base: Double lotus pedestal on polygonal tiered plinth

Condition

• Compelling aged surface with visible rubbing, darkening and localized loss to the gilt and lacquer finish; the face, robes, pedestal and mandorla retain substantial decorative presence.
• Small abrasions, finish variation and handling marks consistent with age and previous display.
• The openwork mandorla appears well preserved in the photographs considering its delicacy, though small losses, old repairs or fragile areas may not be obvious under low lighting.
• The lotus pedestal and lower base show age-related surface wear and darkening.
• No major structural break is apparent from the photographs; the patina and irregular finish are integral to its character.

Authenticity & Care

Represented as a Showa-period Japanese Kannon Bosatsu; construction, gilded finish and carving style are consistent with twentieth-century Japanese carved altar sculpture rather than resin production, but no inscription, dated record or temple provenance fixes a workshop or year. 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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