Lot 91B
East Asia, Japan, Edo period, ca. 18th century CE. A splendid and quite sizable pair of hand-carved wooden corbels or kibana, each in the form of the head of a baku - a Japanese supernatural being said to devour nightmares. According to legend, bakus were created by the spare pieces that were left over when the gods finished creating all other animals, often depicted with the trunk and tusks of an elephant, the eyes of a rhinoceros, the tail of a cow, and the paws of a tiger. Each baku is expressively sculpted with upward swooping tusks and a downward curving trunk. Their thick skin is rendered with fleshy folds that comprise their slender eyes, huge mouths baring tab-shaped teeth, and floppy ears. One elephant slightly opens his mouth, exposing a protruding tongue. As a part of Buddhist symbolism the open mouth is meant to be forming the sound "a," while the closed mouth is forming the sound "un." Combined, they form the word "a-un" which is symbolic of all beginnings and endings. Size (both about the same): 25.1" L x 11.4" W x 16.3" H (63.8 cm x 29 cm x 41.4 cm)
These baku heads would have served as kibana or guardians placed decoratively at the tops of pillars or at the corners of beam in a temple or Shinto shrine to ward off bad spirits.
Legend has it that a person who wakes up from a bad dream can call out to baku. A child having a nightmare in Japan will wake up and repeat three times, "Baku-san, come eat my dream." The baku will then come into the child's room and devour the bad dream, allowing the child to go back to sleep peacefully. However, calling to the baku must be done sparingly, because if he remains hungry after eating one's nightmare, he may also devour their hopes and desires as well, leaving them to live an empty life. The baku can also be summoned for protection from bad dreams prior to falling asleep at night. It is also said that the open-mouthed baku scares off demons and the closed-mouthed shelters and keeps in good spirits.
Provenance: private Constance McCormick Fearing estate, Montecito, California, USA, acquired before 2004
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#181045
- Condition: Natural stable fissures to wood and loss to end of one tusk. Other 3 tusks have been professionally repaired with break lines visible. Otherwise, great presentation with good remaining detail.
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