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

This style is known as Danzo, which is characterized by the surface color of sandalwood and its scent. The statue represents the features unique to small statues, including a big head and short shins. Although the body is slim, the lively nature of the early Heian period is felt from the posture where both elbows are squared while the arms are lowered down in a relaxed manner. Although it is a small statue, features such as its big eyes and nose and the head depth are similar to those of the Yakushi Nyorai statue in the Shin Yakushi-ji Temple of the same time.

Things such as the Jimotsu and Tenne clothing accessories, which are usually separated, are carved together with the body and precisely engraved. Other small pieces of wood are used to attach the major part of hair (the back part), the palm side of the right forearm, part of the Yoraku (a necklace-like Buddhist object). Various colors are applied to the hair (ultramarine blue), lips (bright red), eyebrows (ink) and Yoraku (bright red and blue) and gold patters are painted on the green colored clothes and water jar. Apart from these, the surface of the statue remains as the base material. Kaeribana (a downturned lotus flower shaped object) as part of the base and stile are made from other materials and the flower decorations on the surface of the lotus petals are made from small pieces of wood.

Apart from one face on the left, the other faces among the eleven are calm. Three of the faces on the right have lower fangs and this feature can be found in the Jyuichimen Kannon Sutra, particularly in the first translation by Yasyakutta from Hokushu or the second translation by Ajikutta from Tang.

The face on the left is represented as an angry face that is similar to Tennou and it corresponds to the third translation of "Shinnumen" by Genjyo from Tang. In short, it should be noted that although the features of the faces of this statue are based on the old translations, the new translations are also partly used.