Lavish Land

The twenty-six inch, gold-painted statue, thought to be sculpted by Kamakura-period (1185–1333) artist Unkei, depicts a seated Dainichi Nyorai sun goddess.  While it was expected to sell for less than $3 million at the Christie’s auction where it was sold, the sculpture went for a stunning $14.38 million.

The buyer may have been one of many concerned that this unique cultural artifact would be kept outside of Japan following the auction. Considering the fact that the auction house was headquartered in Britain while the auction itself took place in New York, these concerns don’t seem unreasonable.

kamakura, japanese, art, Dainichi Nyorai, Unkei, Christie’s