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

Ichijikinrin (ekaakSara-uniiSacakra), also called Ichijichorinno or Kinrin Buccho, is an image of deity who is said to embody the virtues of all Buddhas and bodhisattvas. In Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, it is treated as a hibutsu (a Buddhist image normally withheld from public view). The Ichijikinrin rite, a ritual incantation and prayer for good health and long life, used to be a secret rite that only the highest priest of the Toji Temple was allowed to master.
While the elegance of the Heian period still remains in the subtle red shading on the body and the ungen coloring (a coloring technique where distinct bands of color are placed next to each other to give the impression of a rainbow) in the head halo, the intellectual look of the deity and the subdued color tone centering on the cold colors of white, lapis lazuli and silver clearly show the features of Buddhist paintings in the Kamakura period. In short, this image shows a transitional style where the features of the two periods were blended in harmony.