Bhaiṣajya-guru 薬師如来坐像やくしにょらいざぞう

Description

Until the beginning of the Meiji era (1868–1912), this statue was enshrined at Nyakuojisha Shrine in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto. The clarity of the facial features and the deep, sharp carving of the folds in the robes reveal the influence of danzo sculptures: figures carved from fragrant wood and left largely unpainted. The expression of the robe and likewise the way the knees protrude from the lotus-shaped pedestal are qualities resembling those of the statues at Tōji temple.

{i=>[danzō, karma mandala], content=>[This statue was preserved at Nyakuōjisha Shrine in the Higashiyama area of Kyoto until the start of the Meiji era (1868–1912). The carving is sharp and distinct for the drapes of the robes, and deep for the facial features. This is typical for , images, a type of statue made from fragrant wood of which this is an exquisite example. The knees extending beyond the pedestal and the mode of carving the robes are reminiscent of the statues from the , enshrined in the Lecture Hall at Tōji Temple in Kyoto.]}

The most part of this statue including the torus of lotus pedestal was carved from a single block of Japanese nutmeg (kaya). The overall looks vibrantly, the drape of robe was carved elegantly and sharply. The face shows an Indian style. It was originally enshrined in Nyakuōji-sha in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto Prefecture.

This statue had been enshrined as a manifestation of the prime noumenon in Nyakuō-ji shrine in Higashiyama, Kyoto, until the government announced the separation of Shintoism and Buddhism in the first year of the Meiji period (1868). The whole body with the exception of the arms and the lotus seat were carved from a single piece of kaya (Japanese nutmeg) wood. The inside of the statue is not carved out. The body and the clothes are colored in yellowish white—the special coloring to emphasize the meaning of sandalwood statue. The shape of the head which stands out in the center, thick eye-lids which cast a shadow over the face, the ups and downs of the body lines, and sharply carved drapes of the costume reflect the typical one-piece carving style of the early Heian period.