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Pair of Edo Japanese Wooden Temple Sculptures: Baku browse these categories for related items... All Items: Antiques:Regional Art:Asian:Japanese:Devotional Objects: Pre 1800: item # 444410 Please refer to our stock # 11-318 when inquiring.
B & C Antiques P. O. Box 291 Derby, CT 06418 203-929-7312 Guest Book $2,850 for Pair |
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This rare and wonderful pair of 18th century carved wooden temple ornaments, which represent the heads of the elephant-like creature known as a “Baku” (“eater of dreams”), were architectural elements originally mounted under the eaves of the roof of a Japanese temple. Each of these fierce mythical animals was expressively carved in great detail from a thick and richly grained single block of wood. Both have large oval-shaped eyeballs bulging beneath bushy furrowed eyebrows, with long arched trunks curled downward and two long curved tusks extending from their mouths. One has an open mouth revealing two rows of teeth and a protuberant tongue; the other has its mouth closed. Both sculptures have traces of their original paint. Because these figures protruded from the outside a temple, they have the distinct weathered surface that results from centuries of exposure to the elements. Generically called “kibana” (temple roof support finials), these large wooden temple ornaments were typically carved in the form of mythical beasts. (Note: two pair of kibana in the form of karashishi grace the entrance stairway to the Japanese collections at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.) The Japanese artistic tradition includes a large number of imaginary creatures. The Baku, like so many mythical beings, is a curious mingling of various animals. First chronicled in Shinto mythology, this creature is described as having a hairy head with a long proboscis like an elephant’s trunk, two tusks, four claws on each foot, a spiny backbone, a spotted hide, and the tail of an ox. Baku are considered to be a generally benevolent creatures which stalk the dreamscape, devouring the evil demons that cause nightmares. Superstitious people of Edo era Japan believed that bad dreams were caused by evil spirits. It was believed that if the Baku could be induced to eat a horrible dream, the creature had the power to change it into good fortune. When a person awakens from a nightmare, he should call out immediately to the Baku to eat his bad dreams. According to Shinto legend, the Baku will promptly consume the evil entity responsible for these nocturnal terrors and bestow good fortune upon whoever has called out to him. As architectural elements, Baku were thought to protect the entrance to Buddhist temples and were placed under the roof of religious structures to ward off evil spirits. To insure the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s peaceful eternal rest, numerous sculptures of Baku are found at the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, which houses his mausoleum. This pair of Baku kibana originated from Kumamoto prefecture in Japan, once known as a powerful shogunate. Architectural temple elements, particularly those in the form of a baku and in pairs, are quite rare, and they are seldom seen on the market today. (A comparable pair of mounted Baku kibana, lot #290, sold at Sotheby’s in New York on March 24, 1999, for $11,500.) These kibana are in good original condition with some expected abrasions, cracks and insect damage due to extensive age and weathering. There is a loss of the left paw on one Baku. Each sculpture has been custom mounted on a 2” thick solid granite base to facilitate and enhance their display. Dimensions: 18” (46 cm) long, 7” (18 cm) wide, 10 ˝” (27 cm) high. Weight: 25 pounds each with base. |
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