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• Lot n° 66 Japan, Heian period H. 37 - 39,5 cm; 47,5 - 49,5 cm All three bosatsu’s of Compassion are standing in samapada on more recent carved lotus bases placed on tiered shaped-pedestals, each with one arm raised in front of their chest, the hands originally holding a lotus flower while the other arm is stretched downwards along their body, wearing a long pleated skirt leaving just their feet bare and fastened around the waist with a belt, cape draped around the shoulders with one streamer encircling an arm while the other streamer is intricately draped across their chest to disappear behing their back and stuck in their belts, their faces displaying a serene expression with downcast eyes below arched eyebrows that run into the nose-bridge, smiling lips, elongated earlobes and their hair combed into a chignon secured with a simple tiara, traces of gilt- and black-lacquer In the possession of the same family for over one hundred years. Acquired 1906 from the sale at the temple Kôfuku. Dr Adam Breuer (1868-1944) practised as an ophthalmologist and eye surgeon. According to family tradition, his passion for collecting East Asian art began when a grateful patient presented him with a Ming dynasty vase in appreciation for the restoration of her eyesight. At the outbreak of the First World War, the collection was transferred from London to Berlin, reportedly disguised as medical equipment. In 1929, the greater part of the collection was offered for sale in the landmark auction Die Sammlung Dr. A. Breuer / Berlin, Ostasiatische Kunst; however, owing to the difficult economic conditions of the period, many lots remained unsold and were retained by the family. In 1945, the collection was packed into crates and buried deep in the family garden, concealed beneath large shrubs. Despite extensive searches by Soviet troops using long iron probes, the cache remained undiscovered. After the war, the collection was temporarily housed in the storage facilities of the Museum of East Asian Art, Cologne. By descent, the collection passed to Dr Richard Breuer (1912-2006), jurist, sinologist, and respected East Asia specialist in the German diplomatic service. During postings in Tokyo and Hong Kong, he further expanded the family collection. Dr. Adam Breuer was also the founder of the influential art journal Die Weltkunst, which remained in the ownership of the Breuer family for more than sixty years and was subsequently directed by Carlos A. Breuer. Published: Die Sammlung Dr. A. Breuer / Berlin, Ostasiatische Kunst, introduction by Prof. Dr Otto Kümmel, Paul Cassirer and Hugo Helbig, Berlin, 15 May 1929, p. 60, pl. XXIV, nos. 256, 257 and 258. These three finely carved wooden figures represent Shō Kannon (Sanskrit: Aryavalokiteśvara), the principal and earliest manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Revered throughout Japan as a merciful protector and saviour of suffering beings, Shō Kannon occupies a central position within Japanese Buddhist devotion. The deity is typically depicted standing in a serene and contemplative pose, originally holding a lotus bud symbolising purity, spiritual awakening, and salvation.The present sculptures belong to the celebrated group known as the Sentai-butsu, or “One Thousand Buddhas,” commissioned for Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nara during the late Heian period (794-1185). According to the 1929 catalogue of the distinguished Breuer Collection, these figures formed part of the renowned set of one thousand images of Shō Kannon commissioned during the twelfth century by members of the powerful Fujiwara clan. As the Fujiwara family temple, Kōfuku-ji was among the most influential Buddhist institutions in Japan, serving for centuries as a centre of religious, political, and artistic patronage. The commission of one thousand images of Shō Kannon reflects the devotional practices of the late Heian aristocracy, when large-scale sculptural programmes were undertaken to accumulate religious merit and invoke the compassionate protection of the bodhisattva. Installed within the sacred precincts of Kōfuku-ji, the figures would originally have formed part of a magnificent ensemble enhanced by richly painted surfaces and extensive gilding. Such commissions rank among the most ambitious expressions of Buddhist patronage in medieval Japan. Although conceived as part of a unified programme, each image was individually carved. Surviving examples reveal notable variations in facial features, proportions, posture, and workmanship, suggesting production by numerous craftsmen over an extended period. The present group illustrates this characteristic individuality while maintaining the quiet elegance and spiritual refinement associated with late Heian sculpture. Traces of lacquer, gilding, and polychromy preserved on related examples indicate that these figures once possessed a far more sumptuous appearance than is apparent today. The original ensemble was gradually dispersed over the centuries, particularly during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when financial pressures led Kōfuku-ji to part with a number of sculptures and temple treasures. As a result, surviving figures from the series entered important collections in Japan, Europe, and North America. Notable examples were acquired by the celebrated collectors Masuda Takashi and Fujita Denzaburō, while others are now preserved in major museum collections, including a closely related example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The rarity and importance of these sculptures is reflected by the limited number of examples that have appeared on the market in recent decades. A comparable figure from the Kōfuku-ji Sentai-butsu group was offered at Christie's New York in the sale Japanese and Korean Art (17 September 2009, lot 1049), while related examples are preserved in major institutional collections. The present figures, rarely encountered as a group of three possess particular significance through their documented association with the Breuer Collection, whose 1929 catalogue identified them as belonging to the celebrated Kōfuku-ji commission. This early provenance not only reinforces their connection to one of the most important sculptural enterprises of the Heian period but also places them within the history of Western collecting and appreciation of Japanese Buddhist art. Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, inv. no. 2002.447.2., , Christie's New York, Japanese and Korean Art, Live Auction 2193, September 17, 2009, lot 1049. - Partial signs of age and minor damage. The arms and feet were restored by Kano Tessai, as already noted in the 1929 auction catalogue (p. 60). The wooden bases currently attached are later replacements; however, the original bases have been preserved, partly old replacements and restoration