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

This is a tall statue wearing a skirt with a hem that widely flows right and left and is throwing out its belly in the shape of a less-than sign in profile. The dressing style of wearing a Sougishi (a robe worn under the outer Kesa robe) and draping its shoulders with Daie (a formal robe), as well as its profile, are common to the Buddhist images in the Asuka period (from the end of the sixth century to the first half of the seventh century), including those of the Tori School. However, some methods, such as the three large chaplets set on the backside and the creation of both feet from the backside of the skirt hem, are not seen very often in the images in our country. Thus, many of the characteristics of this statue, including the general taste, are rather related to the Buddhist images in the period of the three ancient kingdoms in Korea, especially in Paekche.
This statue was created in one cast including the body and the central section of the lotus flower pedestal (Renniku). The inside from below both shoulders to the hemline of the skirt is hollowed out and the underside of the skirt is an opening to the outside. Its head and the section from its feet to the central section of the lotus flower pedestal are solid. The bronze thickness of the hollowed body is relatively thin and no particular nonuniformities are seen. Three square chaplets are found on the upper, middle and lower parts of the back of its body. Metal inlay is applied only to the upper chaplet, while the middle and lower ones are opened to the outside as a square hole. Most of the clay of the inner mold remains inside of the statue expect for the parts around the middle and lower chaplets, as well as the part from the hemline of the Daie to the skirt hem where the clay was removed. This statue is not cast well as it is porous on the whole. Cracks on the left of the skirt hem and the lower right of the lower chaplet are reinforced by brazing and metal inlay is found on the part a little to the right from the center of the skirt, which the hemline of the Daie touches. Plating remains on almost the entire surface except for the stem below the central section of the lotus flower pedestal. As for coloring, on the other hand, drawing in black ink is found only on part of the outlines of its eyebrows and eyes. The tips of the index and middle fingers of the left hand and all of the fingers other than the thumb of the right hand have been lost. The Kaeribana (a downward-facing lotus petal decoration) of the pedestal and below it were made of wood to which gold foil was applied with lacquer (Shippaku). They were replaced in the Edo period (1603 - 1868).