This HUGE and wonderful antique Buddhist theme Japanese vase is believed to have come back from Japan with the New Zealand occupational forces ("J-Force") between 1945 - 1947

It is a stunning UNIQUE masterpiece that has always attracted much favourable comment when out on display

Featuring seven dancing SKELETON band members & a SERENE seated figure of the Buddha, along with two Nio Japanese Buddhist Temple Guardian Demons

Nio or Kongorikishi are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism in the form of frightening wrestler-like statues

They are dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajrapai, the oldest & most powerful of the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon

According to Japanese tradition, they travelled with Gautama Buddha to protect him and there are references to this in the Pali Canon as well as the Ambaha Sutta

Within the generally pacifist tradition of Buddhism, stories of dharmapalas justified the use of physical force to protect cherished values and beliefs against evil

The Nio are also seen as a manifestation of Mahasthamaprapta, the bodhisattva of power that flanks Amitabha in Pure Land Buddhism and as Vajrasattva in Tibetan Buddhism

I have owned this UNIQUE and OUTSTANDING piece for 25 years, but we are now downsizing Time for it to be appreciated by a new custodian

HEIGHT = 440 mm 17.6" tall

WIDTH = 300 mm 12" across at shoulder

I was advised by TOP USA Japanese ceramics EXPERT that that was a Seto Ware item, an unsigned work DONE BY a highly accomplished MASTER POTTER

Seto ware (Seto-yaki) refers to a type of Japanese pottery, stoneware, and ceramics produced in and around Seto in Aichi Prefecture, Japan

The Japanese term for it, Setomono, is also used as a generic term for all pottery

Seto was the location of one of the Six Ancient Kilns of Japan

In Japan pottery CHIPS are simply filled with SOLID GOLD So any "restoration" (thus) would be simple :-)