National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

　　This Guardian King of the North statue is one of the Four Heavenly Kings that is said to have come down to the Northern Round Hall in the Kōfukuji Temple, but the practical location is unknown. Three other statues also exist (refer to the section on Standing Zōchōten (Skt. Virūḍhaka)). The head wearing a warrior helmet is inclined to the left and the eyebrows are lowered with angry eyes and an open mouth. It looks sternly at the jeweled stupa placed on its palm while raising its right arm high above its head. The statue holds a jeweled stick in its left hand, and stands with its waist twisted to the right and an evil demon’s head under its right foot and the demon’s hip under its outwardly opened left foot. Although the statue has lively features in its angry eyes and nose, other features such as its short neck and ample body, modest movements and dynamic body structures add a sense of dignity that reminds one of the carving techniques from a single block of wood in the early Heian period (794–1185). The body part is carved from a single block of Japanese cypress with the inner cavity and a backboard is attached to the back, while the head is made from another material. Another material is also used for the eyes, which also feature a finishing touch of pigments. The metal plates of the waist armor were gilded after lacquering. These features are common to the statue Zōchōten, and both are estimated to have been created by Nara Buddhist sculptors in the late Heian period. The features of this magnificent and lively life-sized statue form a historical lineage of the statues of Four Heavenly Kings in the Southern Capital between the late Heian period and the early Kamakura period (1185–1333).