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

Sometimes Buddhist statues were carved from expensive aromatic wood used for incense. This one is made of sandalwood, which was valued for its color in addition to its scent. It has features unique to small statues, including a large head and truncated shins. Although the body is slim, the elbows turn outward with one arm lowered to produce a relaxed, fluid sense of movement that reflects the refined style of the early Heian period (794–1185). Despite its small size, the artistry in the statue’s enlarged facial features and full depth of its head is similar to the majestic appearance of a contemporaneous sculpture of the buddha Seated Yakushi (Skt. Bhaiṣajyaguru) at Shin-Yakushiji Temple.

Elements that appear to be separate from the body were actually sculpted from the same block of wood and meticulously carved, including the personal adornments, attributes, and ornamental scarf-like strip of cloth (tenne). Other small pieces of wood were used for most of the back of the bodhisattva’s bound hair, the right forearm, and part of the necklace-like ornamental chains (yōraku). The sculpture was mostly left with its original wooden finish, excluding pigments applied to the bound hair (blue), lips (red), eyebrows (ink) and yōraku (red and blue) as well as patterns in gold paint along the hem of the wraparound skirt and water pitcher. The downward-facing lotus petals and base of the pedestal are made from a different material, and the floral decorations on the surface of the lotus petals are made from small pieces of wood.

Apart from some of the faces on the left, the other faces among the eleven are calm. Three of the faces on the right have lower fangs. The scriptural basis for this depiction is the Eleven-Headed Kannon Heart Dharani Sutra , particularly in the first Chinese translation by Jñānagupta (523–600 ) during the Northern Zhou dynasty (557–581) or the second translation by Atikūta (ca. seventh century) during the Tang dynasty (618–907), whi ch say “the bodhisattva’s face has canine-like fangs protruding upward.” The faces on the left, however, have wrathful appearances like heavenly kings that are likely based on the third translation d escribing “wrathful faces” by Xuanzang (602–664) during the Tang dynasty. The statue notably bases its depiction on earlier translations but also incorporates parts of what would have been the latest translation of the day.