Important Cultural PropertyStanding Shakamuni (Skt. Śākyamuni) Buddha (Seiryoji type)

Save Image

image 全画面表示
  • 木造釈迦如来立像
  • By Genkai
  • 1 statue
  • Wood with pigments Single block construction Crystal eyes
  • H 77.9
  • Kamakura period/Bun'ei 10(1273)
  • Nara National Museum
  • 887(彫34)

 The principal object of worship in Seiryoji Temple in Saga of Kyoto Prefecture, “Standing Shakamuni (Skt. Śākyamuni) (national treasure),” is an imitation statue commissioned by a Sanron sect monk Chonen modeling a statue made by King Udanaya (Udenno shibo zo) in Yongxi 2 (985) during his pilgrimage to the Northern Sung dynasty in China. It has been worshiped as a Shakamuni statue, which came down from India via China (“Sangoku denrai no Shaka”). Many of these imitated statues have been created since the Kamakura period and this statue is one of them. The statue has hair just like a coiled rope and wears one of types of a rectangular robe (kesaya), daie, that has concentric folds of the robe (emon) and a tight collar and it is clear that the statue imitated the special form of iconography of the original statue. However, unlike the exotic features of the original, this has a simplicity specific to the Kamakura period. It clearly reflects the features of the Kamakura period, which include a figure with a large head and the concentric emon that extend to the area between both legs. Therefore, the typical exotic impression of the original has weakened.
 According to the ink inscription on the rail of the pedestal (kamachi), this statue was made by the sculptor-priest Genkai, in Bun’ei 10 (1273) using old materials from the Golden Hall of Furuhashidera (古橋寺) in Gangoji Temple. As Genkai did not make other statues, the details of Genkai as a sculptor-priest are unknown. Although the statue was made from Japanese nutmeg (kaya) using a single block construction technique (ichiboku dukuri), the head part was made from other materials and hollowed out using an inner cavity (uchiguri) and the crystal eyes were fit in, and articles were stored inside.

Pieces

Loading