Important Cultural PropertyGong of Waniguchi Type

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  • 金銅鰐口
  • 1 piece
  • Gilt bronze
  • W 17.8, D 15.8
  • Kamakura period/Kencho 6(1254)
  • Nara National Museum
  • 1185(工250 H)

  A Waniguchi is a gong that can be rung by shaking the rope that hangs in front of the gong hung at the horizontal beam (nageshi) of Prayer Hall (Haiden) or Buddha Hall Butsu do) of a shrine. Most of them are made of bronze and an iron Waniguchi is very rare. This Waniguchi is also made of bronze and plating is applied to the entire surface. It is unique in that it is very small in size. Moreover, an inscription and sutras, such as the Smaller Sukhavativyuha Sutra, the Lager Sukhavativyuha Sutra and Nirvāṇa Sutra, are engraved over the entire surface from the front and back to the sides. The inscription says that this Waniguchi was dedicated to Enseiji Tenjingu Shrine in Yamaguchi of Suo Province in May Kencho 6 (1254) by a person named Jiren (自/目蓮). The patterns on the front and the back are the same and divided into three sections by double circular lines. In the center designs a lotus flower forming a striking panel (tsukiza). The lotus flower has eight simple petals (soben) with no patterns on them and a pistil and stamens can be found inside the petals. There is a slit at the bottom of the Waniguchi with a heart-shaped hole at each end of the slit. The handles are in the shape of a lotus seed.

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