Important Cultural PropertyShisi (Lion) (Mañjuśrī’s Pedestal)

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  • 木造獅子(文殊菩薩台座)
  • 1 piece
  • Wood with pigments Joined block construction
  • Total H 35.5
  • Heian period/11th century
  • Nara National Museum
  • 758(彫21)

 This statue is said to have come down to the Shinra Zenshindo Shrine in Onjoji Temple in Shiga Prefecture. Due to the upper mat (kurajiki) and the lotus seat (rengeza) placed on the back, it is clear that a Monjyu (Skt. Mañjuśrī) statue was once placed on the top.
 Three wooden boards made from a Japanese Torreya tree are attached and another material used for the tail. The carving technique, inner cavity (uchiguri), is not used.
 The round eyes grow wide, while the mouth is closed and the fang on both sides and the inside of the mouth can be seen. It faces front and stands firm on the ground on four legs. A wavy mane flows along the body. The back is high, and the thick body is quite impressive. The muscles and bones of the legs and the toenails are realistically represented contrary to expectation. It wears a girth (harubi), a breast harness (munagai) and crupper (shirigai) from which bud-shaped bead accessories are hung.
 Both the head and body are painted in blue (gunjo) and the mane and other hair are green (rokusho) and the stomach area is pale red. The upper mat is painted in gold paint (kindei) and the lotus flower is gorgeously painted in various colors, including vermilion (shu), blue (gunjo), green (rokusho) and white (hakudo), with a finishing touch with an arrangement of cut gold leaf (kirikane). The harubi, munagai and shirigai are covered in gold leaf (kinpaku).
 Due to features that include the old structure using Japanese Torreya trees, the big eyes and the facial expression with its relatively simple facial structure and thick chest, it is similar to “Shishi (Lion) and Koma-inu (Guardian Dog)” from the Yakushiji Temple in Nara Prefecture made in Kanji 1 (1087) or “Shishi (Lion)” from Kyoo-gokokuji Temple in Kyoto Prefecture made in the late tenth century and it is therefore possible that it was made in the eleventh century.

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