Shinto priest. Edo era Japan, late 18th-early 19th century.

Shinto priest. Edo era Japan, late 18th-early 19th century.
In carved and polychrome wood.
Measurements: 50 x 17,5 cm.

This delicate sculpture represents a Shinto priest of the Edo era, a period in which Japan developed a refined artistic production linked to religion and ceremonial life. Carved in wood and preserving traces of polychromy, the figure stands out for its hieratic serenity and for the careful description of the folds of the ritual attire, decorated with symbolic motifs.

The headdress characteristic of the priestly caste and the restrained gesture of the hands (holding a ceremonial object) reinforce the devotional character of the piece, probably conceived for a domestic or small sanctuary context. Its intimate scale, together with the elegance of the modeling and the patina of time, make this work an evocative testimony to Japanese spirituality and the sculptural taste of late pre-modern Japan.