19th Century Japanese Meiji Gilt Bronze Oni With Lotus

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A magnificent Japanese bronze and parcel gilt Oni from the Meiji period. Cast in the style of Miyao Eisuke, standing … Read more A magnificent Japanese bronze and parcel gilt Oni from the Meiji period. Cast in the style of Miyao Eisuke, standing with bare feet apart on a rocky form, the Oni wears a robe engraved with flowers and roundels with phoenix and a large dragon across the back. The robe is closed with a circular do, and is swept open revealing the wolf's head loin cloth. In one upstretched arm, he holds a large bronze lotus.
Oni are widely represented in Japanese folklore and are often depicted as horned, ogre-like creatures and are a type of Japanese yōkai. Typically characterized as fierce, cruel, and evil, with a penchant for violence, despite their ruthlessness, oni can be manipulated into bringing good fortune in some contexts and even convert to Buddhism. The large lotus flower held by this figure could very well represent such a case. See less