Prefectural Designation: Standing Figure of Tamonten(Val’sravana)
| Area | Art |
|---|---|
| Collection name | |
| Age | The late Heian period note:The Heian period(794~1185) |
| Century | |
| Creator | |
| Pronunciation of the creator’s name | |
| Date (year, month, day) | |
| Year (Christian Era) | |
| Volume | One figure |
| Material | A carving made from a single tree trunk, with coloring and directly carved eyes |
| Size | 101 tall |
| Designation | Designated as a cultural property by Hyogo prefecture |
Explanation
Tamonten is considered the Guardian of the North Gate of the Four Devas (Jikokuten, the Guardian of the East Gate; Zochoten, the Guardian of the South Gate; Komokuten, the Guardian of the West Gate; and Tamonten, the Guardian of the North Gate) who guard the gates surrounding the Trāyastriṃśa heaven in the center of Mount Meru, which rises in the center of the Buddhist world. Tamonten is called Vaishravana when he is worshipped as a single deva.
Tamonten is armored, has a Buddhist tower in his left hand and is crushing a devil under his feet. Tamonten’s right hand is placed at his waist and it seems that he was carrying things, including weaponry, which have been lost.
The whole body from the top of the head to the feet is sculpted from a solid piece of hard broadleaf wood. Tamonten’s left hand is raised at his shoulder and remains in a standing position because tenons in the soles of his feet are inserted into mortises in the body of the devil. It is believed that the whole body was colored. However, most of the coloring has peeled off. Slight traces of designs remain, including black designs on a red field around the part where the sleeves open, and double mesh- and arabesque-patterned kirikane (a Japanese decorative technique used for Buddhist statues and paintings) on the abdomen.
This standing image of Tamonten is characterized by sharply sculptured armor and his sullen-looking facial expression, which is slightly humorous. The appearance of the lower body, which seems heavy without much indication of movement, as well as the facial expression of controlled anger suggests the possibility that the sculpture was created in the late Heian period. The Buddhist tower, the tip of his left wrist and the devil were repaired in later years. The whole left arm is created from a different in material from the body and seems to have been repaired in later years. This was presented as a pair of sculptures with Jikokuten to Seitendo of the Saifukuji Temple in Saikai City, Osaka.
The sculpture was designated as a cultural property by Hyogo prefecture in 1985.
(The Second Collection of Works in the Possession of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History, 2002, a piece of writing by Yoshifumi Kanbe was partially modified)