Chofukuji Temple: Cabinet with Samantabhadra Bodhisattva

JAPAN, Nara, Ikoma; Kamakura period

According to the inscription in vermilion on the back, this cabinet was made in 1313 during the Kamakura period and was a gift from a monk to his teacher at Toshodaiji Temple.
The wooden cabinet is 192.4 cm high and consists of a Sumera base, a rectangular body, and a roof. The doors of the cabinet open to reveal the image of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva painted against a dark brown background on a single panel measuring 170 cm high and 87.5 cm wide. The Bodhisattva rides an elephant and holds a sword in the right hand and a sutra scroll in the left. A nimbus and a mandorla emit radiant light, while the remaining area around the Bodhisattva is filled with swirling clouds. Samantabhadra is flanked by ten raksasis, and in the lower right corner there is an image of a monk. The upper part of the cabinet resembles a hip roof with supporting columns below.