A large and rare champlevé figure of Amida seated on a lotus

Description:

Japan, Edo period, 18th/19th centuries
H. 93 cm
Amida Buddha is depicted sitting in the traditional meditation posture (jōbon jōshō-in) on a double lotus pedestal, his hands folded in the meditation gesture (dhyana mudra). The robe is richly embroidered with champlevé designs. folded in the meditation gesture (dhyana mudra). The robe, with rich champlevéenamel in floral tendril and blossom motifs in shades of blue, turquoise and pink; the bronze has a partially warm, darkly patinated surface. The head, with its characteristic spiral curls (rahotsu) and the ushnisha, is characterised by an expression of deep inner tranquillity, the half-closed eyes cast down in silent contemplation. On the reverseOn the reverse, a large mandorla nimbus (kōhai) adorned with flames, featuring gilded and enamelled floral decoration, the tongues of flame emphasising the figure’s transcendent nature. The figure rests on a multi-petalled lotus throne, which is mounted on an openwork bronze base featuring vine and cloud motifs, which in turn stands on an oval, patinated bronze plinth.
Collection of the Kienlin imdustrial family, Esslingen, presumably acquired in the early 20th century by Albert Constantin von Kienlin (1842-1915), Privy Councillor of Commerce
The Japanese art of enamelling is known as Shippō (七宝), ‘the seven treasures’ - a reference to the precious materials which, according to Buddhist tradition, adorned the Buddha’s throne. The iridescent, gem-like lustre of the enamel was intended to imitate the splendour of sacred objects. The technique is thought to have reached Japan in the 15th century via Korea, which uses the same term, chilbo - unlike China, where enamel is referred to as a ‘porcelain-like coating’. This points to an independent Korean-Japanese tradition. Champlevé - from the French champ levé, ‘hollowed-out field’ - refers to a technique in which recesses are carved into a metal base (usually bronze or copper) and filled with enamel paste, which fuses during firing. Unlike in cloisonné, where thin metal partitions are soldered in place, the dividing partitions in champlevé emerge from the mass of the base metal itself. The Japanese tradition includes several variants: Hira-Shippō, in which the enamel, after melting, finishes flush with the raised sections, and Doro-Shippō, which uses opaque enamels fired at a lower temperature. The earliest documented examples date back to the beginning of the 17th century: a Kozuka hilt with a translucent champlevédecoration (a hare in the grass) from the Hirata school, and a bronze Kiri crest enamelled using the champlevé technique, which, according to tradition, originates from the Imperial Palace in Kyōto. Both demonstrate that the technique was initially used primarily for sword fittings and small pieces of jewellery. The Edo period (1603-1868) offered ideal conditions for the development of such elaborate techniques: Following the end of the period of civil war, Tokugawa Ieyasu established a stable shogunate, which brought Japan its first long period of peace since the Heian period. Growing urban prosperity, a warrior class without wars, and wealthy temples and families acting as patrons created the fertile ground on which champlevéworks could expand from sword art to larger religiousobjects - such as bronze figures of the Amida Buddha, whose robes were adorned with floral, champlevé-enamelled tendrils in shades of blue, turquoise and pink. The coordination between casting and enamelling was technically demanding: the recesses had to be created during the bronze casting process, whilst the figures’ faces and hands usually remained undecorated. With the end of the Edo period in 1868 and the opening up of Japan, Shippō art experienced a further resurgence through workshopssuch as Namikawa Yasuyuki and the Ando workshop, particularly in the cloisonnétechnique for the World’s Fair and export markets - building on the technical foundations laid during the Edo period - Minor losses to enamel and few small old repairs