Standing Figure of Amitabha
| Area | 美術 |
|---|---|
| Collection name | |
| Age | The Heian period (794-1185) |
| Century | The 12th century |
| Creator | |
| Pronunciation of the creator’s name | |
| Date (year, month, day) | The second year of Kao |
| Year (Christian Era) | 1170 |
| Volume | One figure |
| Material | Hinoki cypress, the Yosegi method or the Warihagi method and eyes made of crystal |
| Size | 96.2 tall |
| Designation |
Explanation
This is a figure of Amitabha with the first and second fingers of his right hand bent on his chest and his left hand lowered symbolizing that Amitabha is coming down to welcome the spirit of his believers with the bending of his first and second fingers. It is made of hinoki cypress. It is constructed using the Yosegi method or Warihagi method and the inside of the sculpture is hollow. The flesh part is painted in gold pigment, while the part covered by clothes is coated with lacquered leaf. The body part is less thick; the wrinkles on the clothes are also shallowly sculpted; and the part from the abdomen to the feet show Y-shaped wrinkles. These features show the Jochoyo style of the late Heian period. However, his countenance is slightly longer in comparison to the round and wide style seen in the late Heian period, which seems to show a transition to the subsequent Kamakura period (1185-1333).
The ink inscription outside the tenon of the left foot says “April 11 in the second year of Kao,” which suggests that the image might have been created in the second year of Kao (1170). This is an example of a work that shows a definite year from which the above-mentioned transition of style from the late Heian period to the Kamakura period can be confirmed.
Furthermore, the eyes, which are made of crystal are noteworthy. Initial examples of crystal eyes for which the year of creation has been confirmed include A Figure of Amitabha Buddha flanked by the Bodhisattvas Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta (an important cultural property created in 1151) at Chogakuji Temple, Nara prefecture, A Standing Figure of Vaishravana of (an important cultural property created in 1154) at Bujoji Temple, Kyoto prefecture, and A Standing Figure of Vaishravana (an important cultural property created in 1162), which used to be possessed by Nakagawa Temple, Nara prefecture. The Standing Figure of Amitabha (created in 1170) is considered to have come after the abovementioned pieces and can be said to be an example of early figure of Buddha with eyes made of crystal inserted.
The third finger of the left hand was repaired. There are signs of repair on the surface of the skirt on the front edge part of the right sleeve and the part below the feet. The gold pigment on the flesh part also seems to have been repaired in later years. However, these parts were kept in good condition. In addition, The figure further gives an impression of being heavy, despite the fact that the inside is hollow, which shows that it contains something inside.
(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)