A Rare Signed Treasure Lighting Lantern 什物 “Jyumotsu” from Japan’s Western Shining Temple 西光寺 Saikoji,

Japan, a huge and handsome antique large scale bronze temple lighting lantern hand wrought in an attractive “Lotus Flower Purity” motif , Edo period circa 1850.

Caste’s a lovely night light through its prolific hand pierced roof and six beautiful master crafted hand pierced side panels.

The portable six sided lantern with a pair of ornate doors and four panels around the sides are ornately pierced and etched with designs of clouds and vines. The top of the lantern is in the form of a blossoming lotus -signature of purity- with 12 etched petals, and with a small, heavy flame finial. You will notice the fine etching on the lantern’s top piece is underneath the lotus pettles, since the lantern was hung and meant to be viewed from below. The solid etched base has six (6) large solid feet for stabile display..

Signed. The bottom of the base has an identifying inscription that reads ” 西光寺 Saikoji, also read Seikoji, (Western Shining Temple) and kanji 什物 “Jyumotsu” (treasured fixture).

Superbly crafted with attractive surface engravings of waves, clouds, flowers and vines. May be suspended from loop or installed on any surface on its six sturdy feet.

Quality:
Displays a fine natural aged warm golden brown patina from over 150 years of loving use.

Dimensions: 21 inches tall to top of loop handle and 15.5 inches wide

Huge 21 inch garden work of art with awesome visual impact – this is an ideal installation and significant accent for your special outdoor garden or favorite indoor space.

Provenance: Japanese collection

Many of our customers place LED or oil candles inside the main section making a romantic and enjoyable decorative accent for entertaining friends and family. It’s a perfect choice for your indoor or outdoor garden space.

Lifetime guarantee of authenticity: All of our Japanese works of art come with our lifetime authenticity guarantee.

Our gallery based in Newport, Rhode Island USA has been dealing in authentic Pre-Columbian, Japanese and fine Asian art, garden ornaments, lanterns and water basins for 25 years. Our president personally travels across America as well as Japan and Europe each year to meet his network partners who assist him in finding best examples. He personally inspects each antique work of art to ensure its old age, authenticity and quality condition.

History of Japanese lanterns:

In Japan a to¯ro¯ (lantern) is a traditional lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Like many other elements of Japanese traditional architecture, it originated in China. In Japan, to¯ro¯ were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths and lighted lanterns were then considered an offering. In its complete, original form the lantern represents five elements of Buddhist cosmology: Bottom touching the ground, represents chi, the earth, the next section represents sui, or water, ka or fire, is represented by the section encasing the lantern’s light or flame, while fu¯ (air) and ku¯ (void or spirit) are represented by the last two sections, top-most and pointing towards the sky. These last two sections express the idea that after death our physical bodies will go back to their original, elemental form.