
Wood
This portable shrine is a 20th century copy of the 10th century shrine kept at Kyoto National Museum.
The exterior of the shrine is made of lacquered wood and is decorated with rippling water in silver color and lotuses in golden color. Two hinged doors opens up to reveal three sandalwood reliefs. The central panel contains Amitabha Buddha who sits beneath an ornate canopy and is surrounded by clouds. The two side panels have reliefs of Avalokitesvara on the right and Mahasthamaprapta on the left. Avalokitesvara offers a lotus and three wish-fulfilling jewels, while Mahasthamaprapta has palms joined in reverence.
The base of the shrine has a gold inscription in regular script giving the names of the artist.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts, page 228.