A Japanese Edo Period gilt and lacquered carved wood portable Buddhist shrine, known as a kyūden-zushi, inscribed in ink on the underside in ancient Japanese characters. Of architectural form and shaped as a temple, it has a trellised roof with curved gable ends above circular pillars at each corner that rest on a square balustraded platform with gilded finials at each corner, centred by a circular raised podium above a square base decorated with gilded waves. The ridge of the roof, fascia and gabled ends are adorned with auspicious Buddhist motifs including dragons, a phoenix, lotus flowers, waves and with further dragons entwined around the four supporting pillars

Japan, Edo Period (1800-68)

Height 116cm, base 57cm x 57cm smallest point

This magnificent Japanese work of art is a portable Buddhist shrine, which is referred to as a zushi in Japanese and was made to house a sacred figure. This particular form of zushi is called a kyūden, which means palace. Dating from the nineteenth century, it epitomises the quality achieved by Japanese craftsmen during the Edo Period. The upper part is in the shape of a temple with a trellised roof, supported by brackets and pillars upon a balustraded platform. The dramatic roofline takes its inspiration from Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain which so often features in Japanese art. Mount Fuji, together with Mount Tate and Mount Haku, are historically regarded as the country’s three holy mountains since the reach up to the heavens. In particular Mount Fuji has played a significant role in both Shintō and Buddhist beliefs, for example, in Shintoism (the indigenous religion of Japan), Mount Fuji is considered a sacred mountain and is believed to be the dwelling place of gods and spirits. It is considered a source of spiritual power and is worshipped as a deity itself. Shintō rituals and ceremonies are conducted on the mountain, particularly during New Year celebrations and other occasions. On the other hand, in Buddhism, Mount Fuji is regarded as a symbol of enlightenment and is associated with the Buddhist concept of ascension and spiritual growth. 

Buddhism was introduced into Japan from mainland Asia during the sixth century and had a profound impact on all modes of cultural expression, including philosophy, literature and art. During the eighth century, numerous Buddhist temples were built across the country, often on the same sites as Shintō shrines. It was at this time that miniature portable shrines for private devotion known as zushi also began to appear. Many were much smaller than the present example, which made them eminently suitable for domestic use. Since this shrine is quite sizable it is likely that was made for an inner sanctuary of a temple hall. Such a shrine demarks a sacred space to enshrine the figure of a deity or honoured monk and, when in the most sanctified space of a temple, its sacredness is amplified.

In terms of its design, it compares very closely with another kyūden-zushi, now in the British Museum, London (object no 1893,1101.21), which is also made of lacquered and gilded wood and features a similar shaped trellised roof, comparable balustrades around the shrine’s base as well as dragons and other Buddhist symbols and motifs around the roof. The British Museum’s shrine was made during the Edo Period (1800-68) and according to a translation of an inscription on an interior panel, it was made in Nagoya, Owari Province. It is possible that the present shrine originates from the same region. The British Museum’s shrine was one of thousands of artifacts that were donated by Sir Augustus Wollaston Franks (1826-97), who served as the museum’s first Keeper of British and Medieval Antiquities and Ethnography (1866-96). 

Another similar temple-shaped portable Buddhist shrine can be found in the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas. Made of lacquered, gilded as well as painted wood and dating from either the Meiji Period (1868-1912) or the Taishō Period (1912–26), its roof has curved as well as dormer gables that are commonly seen in traditional Japanese architecture, including castles, Buddhist temples, and Shinto shrines. As here, the shrine is empty inside. However, in the 1920s when displayed in Spooner Hall on the University of Kansas campus, the Spencer Museum shrine had additional rooftop ornaments and railings around the dais, while the pillars were also covered with curtains. 

Thus, although the shrine in the Spencer Museum no longer has additional ornaments, we can assume that as here and like the portable shrine in the British Museum, it originally would have been adorned with auspicious Buddhist motifs. Here, these motifs include dragons, phoenixes, lotus flowers and waves. In Japanese art and culture, dragons and phoenixes have often been depicted together as symbols of harmony and auspiciousness as well as a sign of strength and passion. In Japanese mythology, dragons are diverse legendary creatures that combine native legends with stories from China, Korea, and India. In Japanese mythology and folklore, dragons are revered as powerful, wise, and benevolent guardians of humanity. They are often depicted as guardian spirits and are said to protect people from universal dangers, impart wisdom, and bring good fortune and wealth. Dragons are also associated with strength, courage, and happiness, and are said to offer these things at important life turning points. 

The dragon is also tied to water, which is integral to Japanese life as an island nation. Different depictions of dragons reflect the role of water in Japanese culture, with some dragons representing benevolent rain-bringers and others representing terrifying forces of nature. For example, ascending dragons are often depicted flying above the clouds or rising into the sky, and thus are associated with the element of air. They are said to represent spiritual enlightenment and wisdom and are also believed to bring good fortune and success. Descending dragons, on the other hand, are associated with the element of water and are said to represent compassion, kindness, and protection. They are believed to bring healing as well as purification and are often depicted descending from heaven to earth to help those in need.

Regarding the phoenix, this mythical bird, which in Japanese culture is often depicted as a hybrid of a pheasant, peacock, crane and parrot, represents kindness, tenderness, and is the fire element. The mythical phoenix is deeply rooted in Chinese and Japanese culture and is used as an emblem of the emperor and empress and when shown together with the dragon, they symbolize a perfect marriage. The phoenix is a benevolent bird, as it does not harm insects and represents the Confucian values of loyalty, honesty, decorum and justice. In Buddhism, the phoenix is regarded as sacred, as it appears only in times of peace and prosperity and hides itself when there is trouble. The mythical creature can also represent ‘an enlightened one’, rising from the ashes of the death of ego. 

The lotus, or hasu in Japanese, is a sacred flower in Buddhism and a central symbol in Japanese culture. It represents purity, enlightenment, perseverance, and the ability to overcome adversity and achieve spiritual enlightenment. The lotus is also associated with faithfulness, the purity of body, speech, and mind, and living life to its fullest. Waves also take on a symbolic meaning in Buddhism and Japanese art. Since waves are fluid and are in constant motion, they embody the Buddhist concept of impermanence – the belief that all things are transient and ever-changing. During the Edo period, when this shrine was made, waves commonly featured in woodblock prints (Ukiyo-e). These prints often depicted the sea and its waves as a metaphor for life’s ebb and flow, of which the most famous series were those by the Hokusai (1760-1849) and Hiroshige (1797-1858), whose views of the great waves as well as Mount Fuji, were to have a profound influence on the French Impressionist painters.