Siebold Helped Preserve Japanese Buddhist Art at a Time of Upheaval in Japan

A beautiful piece from the Siebold CollectionThe History of Munju Bosatsu From Heinrich Von Siebold Collection

By Dan Krueger

The imposing statue of the Bosatsu, which was created for a large, previously unknown Buddhist temple in Japan, was manufactured on the basis of the stylistic characteristics about 1830. 

Heinrich von Siebold (1852-1908), the second son of the Japanese scholar Philipp Franz von Siebold, brought it about 1880 to Vienna. He came in 1869 in his early years to Japan, where he found a position at the Austro-Hungarian embassy in Tokyo. At that time, Japan was in every sense of upheaval. Many Buddhist temples were closed and fell gradually. Buddhist paintings, sculptures, ritual objects and Others were destroyed or sold cheap. Many foreigners took advantage of the hour. Even Heinrich von Siebold collected with care and expertise, not only in their own interest but also for the emerging Viennese museums. Since the Vienna World Exhibition of 1873, where he worked as an interpreter of the Japanese delegation, he had the best contacts there. Since the market in Japan, he as good as any other, knew there were agreements with other major museums, for ethnographical collections they purchased.

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How Fine Asian Art Can Enhance Any Home

Image courtesy of Antique Zen (antiquezen.com), showcase collection.By Eric Y. P. Wang

If you are looking to improve the décor of your home, you might want to consider decorating with Chinese antique furniture and accessories. Chinese furniture started to take its current designs during the Northern Song Dynasty, and since then it has stayed pretty consistent and is exceedingly popular. Chinese antiques are usually made of high quality wood, such as elm or camphor, and have great visual appeal. They will add class to any room.

First, you'll want to decide if you are going to decorate your entire house in antique Chinese furniture or if you are going to decorate one or two rooms in this style. A good rule of thumb is to start with one room and continue from there. Start with the room that needs the most work, or the most "design help".

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