Japanese Bronze Gyoran Kannon after Takamura Koun, Fish Basket Bodhisattva, Dark Patina, 65 cm

Gyoran Kannon, the Fish Basket Kannon, appears here in bronze at a commanding 65 cm, after the composition associated with Takamura Koun. A deep brown-black patina, long flowing robes and a basket hanging from the lowered hand give the figure elegant vertical presence and a quietly human warmth.

The Piece

Gyoran Kannon is one of the more unusual manifestations of Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The iconography grew from a Chinese Buddhist legend in which Kannon appeared as a beautiful woman selling fish and used her presence and wisdom to guide people toward the teaching. Unlike the familiar seated or lotus-bearing images, she is usually shown as an elegant standing woman carrying a basket of fish, and the image found particular resonance among communities tied to the sea, fisheries and trade, where Kannon was invoked for protection, safe passage and plentiful catches.

The composition is closely associated with Takamura Koun, one of the most important sculptors in the passage from traditional Japanese Buddhist carving to modern sculpture. Trained in the older tradition of Buddhist wood carving, Koun became a central figure in Japan's emerging modern sculpture movement, admired for joining extraordinary technical control with a more naturalistic grasp of the body, drapery and expression. Gyoran Kannon was a subject he treated in important works, and later bronze castings and interpretations preserved the composition.

Kannon stands in softly layered robes whose long, deeply modeled folds fall toward an organically sculpted base, seeming almost to dissolve into it along the lower edge. The face is calm, symmetrical and introspective, with half-closed eyes and softly formed lips, and the coiffure rises into an elaborate topknot. One hand is raised gently before the body; from the lowered hand hangs the basket, a modeled fish emerging from it. Hanging free of the body, the basket introduces negative space and fine linear detail against the heavy vertical mass of the robes, a wonderfully human element in a solemn devotional figure.

At 65 cm the figure is far larger than the small Buddhist bronzes usually met as domestic devotional objects, with an almost architectural presence. In profile the slight forward placement of the body, the asymmetrical arms and the hanging basket give movement without disturbing the stillness, and the reverse is carefully modeled so the sculpture remains complete from every side. The deep brown-black finish shows warmer brown undertones in strong light and turns almost monochromatic in low light, emphasizing silhouette and modeling; it suits Japanese and Asian art collections, meditation rooms, studies, tokonoma-inspired displays and minimalist interiors alike.

Details

• Maker: After Takamura Koun (artist model)
• Subject: Gyoran Kannon (Fish Basket Kannon), standing, carrying fish basket
• Origin: Japan
• Material: Bronze / bronze alloy
• Color: Dark brown to black patinated finish
• Measurements: 65 cm H × 29 cm W × 25 cm D (approx.) · 25.6 in H × 11.4 in W × 9.8 in D
• Weight: Approximately 12.5 kg (recorded)
• Display: Freestanding sculpture

Condition

• Very good vintage condition overall.
• Surface patination, minor rubbing, subtle discoloration and small traces of age consistent with previous ownership and display.
• Basket, fish, drapery, facial features and base remain visually strong; the patinated surface preserves the sculptural detail.
• Minor surface marks, casting irregularities and evidence of age are part of the piece's individual history.
• Additional photographs or detail views are available on request.

Authenticity & Care

Offered conservatively as a Japanese bronze Gyoran Kannon after the Takamura Koun model, not as a casting made during Koun's lifetime; a faint vertical marking on the lower reverse cannot yet be read clearly enough to establish a foundry attribution. 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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