Seated Wooden Statue of Yakushi Nyorai

Designated Important Cultural Property of Japan

Date of designation : June 28,1956

Location:Myojo-ji Temple in Mitsu

Height: 102.7cm

 

Carved from a single block of Japanese cypress(hinoki), this statue of Yakushi Nyorai(Bhaisajyaguru), the Buddha of Healing, was originally finished with lacquer and gold leaf though its bare wood surface is now exposed. The curled hair(rahatsu) is finely rendered on the front while the sides and back are more roughly carved. The hairline runs almost straight across, the urna(byakugo) is missing, and the eyes are made of wood. The face is full-cheeked, showing a faint smile around the mouth. The neck is short and thick, and both the shoulders and chest are slightly broad. The robe is relatively short, creating a calm impression, and features a defined ridge at the abdomen. The statue as a whole conveys magnanimity and a grand presence. The head was rejoined after having been separated from the body. The interior is deeply hollowed, and the back is fitted with a separate wooden back panel. Horizontal members are attached to the knees. Those features reflect an archaic wood-block construction method. An ink inscription on the inner surface of the back panel states that the statue was commissioned in 1145 by the Arakida and Watarai clans, the two prominent Shinto priestly families who served at Ise Grand Shrine(Ise Jingu).