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

　These two standing Buddha excavated from the sutra mound at Shioji Temple in Fukuoka Prefecture were in the jeweled pagoda sutra container inscribed the year Eikyu 4 (1116). Both small-scale statues, that has about 11cm in length, are simply engraved except the eyes and nose. These statues don’t have Buddha’s curls (rahotsu) on these heads, a long strand of hair on these foreheads (byakugo), three neck wrinkles (sando), folds of the robes and there are not lotus petals on these pedestals. One statue has the right hand bent and the left hand hanging down, the other has the opposite of that. Both statues with palms facing forward, the five fingers extended, and feet together stand on the three-layered lotus pedestal. Moreover, both explicitly represent bilateral symmetry for the collar of their robes forming a V-shape. In addition, here is subtle difference between the two; the former has the right shoulder of the rectangular robe covering shoulders (fukken’e) hanging down on the outside of the arm, while the latter has the left robe hanging down on the inside in the form of sleeves. Based on the similarities described above, the name of the statues is presumed to be that of Shakamuni (Skt. Śākyamuni) and Prabhutaratna (Skt. Prabhūtaratna) from the 11th chapter of “Lotus Sutra,” ‘The Emergence of the Treasure Stupa.’ The body and pedestal of both statues are cast in one piece. The pedestal is hollow from the base and retains a medium-sized iron core. A verdigris covers the entire surface of the statues and remains scratches. The statues are characteristic of the late Heian period (late 11th to 12th century) from the frontal view with sloping shoulder, wide elbows and quietly hanging robe, the side view with chin forward, flat chest, rounded back and rounded abdomen, and the style of lotus seat. Especially, the bowl-shaped crown of Buddha (nikkei), the broad and richly fleshed cheeks, and the healthy and gentle expression of the eyes and nose are all small expressions, but they are in keeping with the bright, delicate and warm sense of form that prevails in the first half of the 12th century. It is possible to date the statue to Eikyu 4 (1116), when the sutra container was created.