Bodhisattva Cintāmaṇicakra 如意輪観音坐像にょいりんかんのんざぞう

Description

Holding such attributes as a wish-fulfilling jewel and a dharma wheel, this six-armed emanation of the bodhisattva Kannon (Skt. Avalokiteśvara) is known as Nyoirin (Skt. Cintāmaṇicakra). There is a profound sense of volume to its form, which has been shaped from a single block of Japanese nutmeg. The statue seems to reflect the stylistic influence of works from beyond East Asia, for instance in its connected eyebrows carved to form long and sharp lines.

Legend has it that this statue was recovered off the coast of Tango province during the Edo period. It was preserved at a temple in Kyoto until recent years. The large, cylindrical ornamental crown, the stern face with its joined eyebrows and the substantial form are special characteristics that lend vibrancy to its singled-block construction.

The legend said that this statue was discovered in the sea of Tango region. The carving technique of the early Heian period can be seen on the stern face with connected eyebrows, as well as the thick and broad body structure. The scarf-like cloth (jōhaku) was draped widely which is rare to see, it leads a theory that this statue belongs to the Tendai sect.

{br=>[[]], content=>[This is a statue of Nyoirin-kannon (Cintāmaṇicakra) with six arms. The head and the body were carved from a single piece of kaya wood (Japanese nutmeg). The left leg was made of a single piece of wood that includes the tree's center core, cut transversely. The right leg, which is drawn up, was made of a wooden piece which was cut vertically from a tree. Triangular wooden pieces were attached to the body and in turn the thighs were attached to those triangular pieces. Small wooden pieces were used for making details such as toes. Bronze ornaments still remain on the bottom part of the crown. Pupils of the eyes were made of wood and inserted: the kind of the wood for the pupils were different from the wood for the body. There is a trace of lacquer foil covering the crown. The body was originally colored, but the color has come off., The posture of the statue with its upright head facing the front indicates the classic style of this statue. The characteristic aspect of the modeling is the body's stoutness which is in contrast to the relatively slender arms and legs. The descriptions of continuing eye-brows, outlines of ears and breast are also characteristic. The date of production is thought to have been between the end of the 9th and the 10th centuries. This is the second best masterpiece sculpture of Nyoirin-kannon next to the one in Kanshin-ji temple in Osaka.]}

{br=>[[], []], i=>[jōhaku], content=>[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 (, ) 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.]}