{"product_id":"the-shaka-triad-with-the-sixteen-benevolent-deities-inscribed-1507-a-late-muromachi-period-painting-beautifully-detailed-and-illuminated-in-gold-leaf-depicting-shakyamuni-and-more","title":"The Shaka Triad with the Sixteen Benevolent Deities, Inscribed 1507. A Late Muromachi Period Painting, Beautifully Detailed and Illuminated in Gold Leaf, Depicting Shakyamuni and More","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe Shaka Triad with the Sixteen Benevolent Deities, Inscribed 1507. A Late Muromachi Period Painting, Beautifully Detailed and Illuminated in Gold Leaf, Depicting Shakyamuni and More\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Very Good\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eA Late Muromachi Period, early 16th century painting, depicting the Shaka Triad with the Sixteen Benevolent Deities. This painting would have been the main icon for readings of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eBeginning from the top, the historical Buddha Shakyamuni forms a triad with the bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju, all three of which are illuminated in gold leaf. The Sixteen Benevolent Deities are depicted in detail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe historical Buddha Shakyamuni forms a triad with the bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju. Sixteen deities who protect the Buddhist scripture called the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra surround them. At the bottom also stands the Chinese monk Xuanzang, noted as a Buddhist scholar and translator of religious texts from India, including the Great Wisdom Sutra.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe scroll bears an inscription, being commemorated in the third year of the Zhengde Era. In initially dating this painting and studying the inscription, I was very slightly confused the era name by misreading the character for Zhengde \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\" style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'MS Gothic'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'MS Gothic';\"\u003e德\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003e as \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\" style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'MS Gothic'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'MS Gothic';\"\u003e徳\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\" style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003einstead, for Shotoku. However, there are very slight character differences which can be easier to miss, and such a painting is certainly not of the Mid Edo Period. \u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e   \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eAlthough this painting was sold privately along with others at the behest of a private family estate, it was disclosed that the owner of the collection was a historical researcher once serving as the director of libraries and museums in Hyogo Prefecture. With that in mind, it is highly possible that this individual was Yusuke Nakahara, the famed Japanese art critic, curator, scholar, lecturer, university president, art festival organizer, and cultural administrator. As he did have a substantial library, it is no surprised that his collection could have also contained several hundred paintings.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThe painting has been neatly mounted onto a brocade decorated \u003ci\u003ekakejiku\u003c\/i\u003e (hanging scroll), with \u003ci\u003ejikusaki\u003c\/i\u003e (knobs) made of lacquered wood. There is a wooden box to accompany the painting, preserving it.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eOne painting mounted on a \u003ci\u003ekakejiku\u003c\/i\u003e (hanging scroll), 171 x 55 cm full size, 94 x 42 cm main painting\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Calibri',sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';\"\u003eThis painting is in in very good shape, with very minor wear and light staining dotting places. Some of the white pigments have scraped away, though the other paints have suffered less loss. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"That Guy With The Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51634169676087,"sku":null,"price":9400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0281\/1589\/4371\/files\/20260105_153825.jpg?v=1769918016","url":"https:\/\/thatguywiththebooks.com\/products\/the-shaka-triad-with-the-sixteen-benevolent-deities-inscribed-1507-a-late-muromachi-period-painting-beautifully-detailed-and-illuminated-in-gold-leaf-depicting-shakyamuni-and-more","provider":"That Guy With The Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}