EDO PERIOD (18TH - 19TH CENTURY), A polychrome- and gilded-wood figure of Jikokuten

A polychrome- and gilded-wood figure of Jikokuten
Edo period (18th - 19th century)
The Guardian King is shown in Chinese armor standing in a frontal pose on top of a defeated demon. The right arm is bent and rests forcefully on the right hip; the left arm is raised to hold a trident. His forceful expression matches the defiant energy of his pose, heightened by the drapery extending off the wrist and down from the shoulder. The surface of the sculpture is applied principally with red, black and green pigment and the eyes are of inlaid glass. The head is separately carved and inserted into the neck cavity.
24 ½ in. (62.2 cm.) high with stand

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Lot Essay

Jikokuten is one of the Four Guardian Kings, mighty protectors of the Buddhist law. Clad in armor, they stand at the four corners of a Buddhist altar, protecting the principal image. Each represents one of the four cardinal directions.

The scowling Jikokuten, stamping on a hapless, squirming demon, is the guardian of the east. His right hip thrusts to the side to suggest the possibility of forceful movement. He holds his weapon in his raised right hand. The aggressive stance and grimacing demeanor are standard for these guardians, whose mission is to ward off evil.