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

The six-armed form of the bodhisattva Nyoirin Kannon (Skt. Cintāmaṇicakra) is the subject of this life-size statue in a seated position. It was reportedly enshrined in the Nyoirin Kannon Hall of Ekō-in Temple in Kyoto’s Kamigyō Ward. Ekō-in was built in the Edo period (1603–1868). According to temple lore, this sculpture was one of two Nyoirin Kannon statues discovered in the ocean around Tango Province (now the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture) in Kan’ei 5 (1628). The other one is currently in Zenpukuji Temple in the city of Kyoto (10th century).

The arms are attached at the shoulders, and the front parts of both legs were made from other materials before being attached. The head and torso are made from a single block of Japanese torreya that was carved while avoiding the original tree’s pith in the wood in front. The block was not hollowed out at all. In addition to this early construction method, features such as the large cylindrical jeweled crown carved from the same block, the dignified facial expression with connected eyebrows, the depth of the head, and the spread-out, relaxed body posture indicate that this statue dates to the mid- Heian period (794–1185) or earlier. The position of the head resting straight up rather than titled is similar to the oldest known statue of the six-armed Nyoirin Kannon in Japan at Kanshinji Temple in Osaka. Parts of the arms were replaced in later periods, and the current sculpture is somewhat off balance.

Another atypical feature of the statue is that the band of cloth draped crosswise over the shoulder (jōhaku) is draped from the left shoulder to cover much of the abdomen as well as down the back, almost reaching the pedestal. Although this is unusual, similar examples are found in works produced by the Tendai school, suggesting this statue is based on Tendai iconographies.