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

Among the eleven pieces of repousse Buddhist images from ten items preserved in the Gallery of Horyu-ji Temple, this piece is the largest and the most excellent. The margin of the images is cut out carefully, especially that of the halos, which is cut out precisely along the outline of the form of flames.
On each side of Amida (Amitabha), the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life, who makes the Gesture of Teaching (Dharmacakra Mudra), Kannon (Avalokitesvaran) with Kebutsu (Buddha in manifestation) and Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta) holding a water jar, attend Amida. Between Amida and each of the two Bodhisattvas, the upper part of the body of two bhikkus clasping their hands in prayer toward the Amida in the center, is formed. Owing to the thickness of the copper plate, not only is the gentle taste specific to repousse Buddhist images expressed well, but this piece is excellent technically. The embossment is elaborate and there are no cracks at all.
The composition and style of this piece is similar to the mural painting in the Kondo of Horyu-ji Temple, especially to the large mural No. 6 and thus it seems that this piece was produced based on the new design from the early Tang Dynasty period. As for the era, this piece seems to have been produced in or around the time when the mural was painted or the Status of the Yakushi Triad (the Buddha of Medicine & Healing and two attendants) in the Kondo of Yakushi-ji Temple. Marks on the plating as finishing can be seen all over the copper plate, which is said to be gold-plating by mercury gliding called Haku-mekki. In addition, there seems to have been some parts that were colored. The heads of the Buddhist images including the Buddha in manifestation sitting on the head of Kannon and Seshi were painted in ultramarine, the eyebrows as well as the eyes of the faces are outlined in black ink and the pupils of Amida are also painted with black ink.
Another repousse Buddhist image that seems to have been produced from the same model can be found in Horyu-ji Temple. In addition, it has been verified that the nail hole of this piece corresponds to that of the copper-plate halo (two bhikkus, two kings and two lions are line-engraved on the back and the halo is embossed on the upper section of the front) now preserved in Horyu-ji Temple.