Chuguji Temple Main Hall: Seated Bodhisattva

JAPAN, Nara, Ikoma; Asuka period

The statue is located in the main hall of Chuguji Temple. According to the temple records, this figure is called Cintamanicakra Avalokitesvara, and it is also known as Avalokitesvara of Salvation. But the Records on the Transition of Properties of Koryuji Temple lists it as a golden Maitreya Bodhisattva and this identity is validated by the iconographic details. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1951.
Parts of the statue including the neck, torso, wrists, and the section below the knees were carved from other pieces of wood then joined. A double topknot is on the head with the rest of the hair falling about the shoulders and arms. The face of the statue is slender and delicate, with downcast eyes and lips lightly pressed together. The figure is seated in the contemplative position, with legs in the relaxation posture and the hand raised to touch the chin. The left leg rests upon a lotus flower growing up from the lake below. The complex nimbus behind the head starts as a lotus then radiates into a floral pattern and beyond that to flames. In the upper portion the design are supplemented by the outlines of the seven Buddhas of the past.
Almost all the original gilding on the statue has flaked away while the crown and accessories are lost. However, because the holes used to attach the accessories indicate its intricate design, experts are able to assign the sculptural style to the Asuka period (538–645).