The seated musician with a peaceful expression, playing a stringed instrument, on an opening lotus, traces of pigment; later wood base.
Note:
Figures such as the present musician were originally produced for the canopies over important Buddhist sculptures, such as those in the Kondo (Golden Hall) of the Horyu-Ji temple near Nara. Over time, these figures were replaced due to loss and damage, such as the 13th century example sold by Bonham's, New York, September 22, 2021, lot 1049. A later example, dated to the Edo period (1615-1868) may be found in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, #1954.792. See also the two figures sold at Kollar Auction, Zurich, Switzerland, December 4, 2017, lot 335, one attributed to the artisan Niro Chunosuke, the other to his workshop, circa 1906.