The Bodhisattva Fugen (Fugen Bosatsu)

Object Details

• Label

  The bodhisattva (enlightened being) known in Japanese as Fugen was widely worshiped by Japanese Buddhists beginning in the Heian period (794-1185). Portrayals of Fugen riding a sacred six-tusked white elephant were inspired by descriptions in the Lotus Sutra, the most widely known sutra (sacred text) in East Asian Buddhism.

  Paintings of Buddhist deities were regarded as sacred images. No expense was spared in the production of these devotional paintings, which were hung only for specific ceremonies. The magnificence of this image is the result of special techniques used primarily for Buddhist subjects, such as the application of pigment from both the front and the back of the silk and intricate applications of cut gold leaf.

• Provenance

  By at least 1940-no later than 1950

  Shigeaki Ikeda (1867-1950), method of acquisition unknown [1]

  About 1961

  Exhibited at the Nara National Museum, Nara, Japan [2]

  ?-by at least 1962

  Hollis and Mayuyama, New York, method of acquisition unknown [3]

  From 1963

  Freer Gallery of Art, purchased from Hollis and Mayuyama, Inc., New York [4]

  Notes:

  [1] See Taka Yanagisawa, 1962. “An Example of Fujiwara Painting of Fugen Bosatsu (Samantabhadra).” “The Bijutsu Kenkyu: The Journal of Art Studies, The Institute of Art Research Tokyo” no. 220 (January 1962): 203-204. In the translation by T. Katsuki, in object file, Miss Yanagisawa writes that “The present work [Fugen Bosatsu, F1963.6] has never been introduced before and its existence was unknown to the public, although Ichimatsu Tanaka, Director of our Institute, had the opportunity to examine it at the residence of Mr. Seihin Ikeda in 1940, and again saw the same picture at Mr. Hori’s house in the summer of 1944. The whereabouts of the picture, however, was unknown for a while, until it was unexpectedly brought to Mr. Tanaka in September, 1961, after being shown for a brief period at the Nara National Museum in the same year.” There is no additional information on Hori’s identity; however, it might be assumed that Ikeda owned the work at some point. Shigeaki Ikeda, also known as Seihin Ikeda, was a prominent Japanese politician, cabinet minister, and businessman. During WWII he was a member of the Imperial Privy Council, and after the war he retired to his summer home in Kanagawa.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] See Freer Gallery of Art vault card no. V68.62, copy in object file, showing that J. Mayuyama left the object at the Freer for examination on April 11, 1962. See also Howard Hollis letter to J. A. Pope, dated October 10, 1962 (original in object file), regarding the object Hollis writes, “As I told you, the painting is on consignment to Hollis and Mayuyama, Inc. from Mayuyama & Co.” Additionally, see July 12, 1962 letter from T. Akiyama at the Institute of Art Research in Tokyo, to H.P. Stern (original in object file): “I wish to advise

  that very careful and thorough examination of the particular work had been made by our Institute before it was brought into the United States by Mr. Mayuyama.” Howard Hollis was Curator of Far Eastern and Near Eastern Art at the Cleveland Museum of Art from 1929 until serving as Officer in Charge of the Far East division of the Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives (MFAA) program in Tokyo in 1946; he resumed his post in Cleveland in 1948. He founded Howard Hollis & Company in Cleveland, specializing in Asian Art, which he expanded to a second location in 1961 in New York City. Hollis frequently partnered with Junkichi Mayuyama (1913-1999) of Mayuyama & Co., Ltd.

  [4] The Freer Gallery of Art paid Hollis and Mayuyama, Inc., in installments, the first on July 12, 1963 and the last on July 28, 1965, and approved by the Secretary on November 26, 1962. See object file for copies of invoices.

  Research updated April 14, 2023

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Words of Wisdom: Buddhist Calligraphy from Japan (April 1, 2023 to February 25, 2024)

  The Power of Words in an Age of Crisis (October 14, 2017 to May 6, 2018)

  Religious Art of Japan (December 18, 2002 to January 4, 2015)

  Japanese Art (May 9, 1993 to November 21, 1995)

  Japanese Art (November 7, 1986 to July 19, 1988)

  Japanese Art (July 1, 1974 to April 10, 1978)

  Japanese Art: Painting and Sculpture (July 1, 1966 to May 2, 1973)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Shigeaki Ikeda (1867-1950)

  Hollis and Mayuyama, Inc.

  Howard Hollis and Company (established 1949)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1100s, 1200s

• Name

  Ikeda, Shigeaki, Howard Hollis and Company, Hollis and Mayuyama, Inc.

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Heian period (794 - 1185), Fugen, Art, Animals, Japanese Art, Anjali mudra, Elephants, Halo, Throne, Kakemono

• Culture

  Buddhists, Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings