Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva

JAPAN; Kamakura period

Assembled figures from several pieces of wood was becoming unusual by the early 14th century when this statue was made. The eyes were inlaid with semi-precious stone then the whole statue was varnished and covered with gold foil, much of which still remains. The Bodhisattva sits cross-legged on a complex lotus throne with an octagonal base. The monastic robes and the adaptation of their pattern to wave-like folds is skillfully managed. A jewel is held in the left hand, while the raised right hand once held Ksitigarbha’s other attribute, the monk’s staff. The nimbus radiates outwards from a double-petaled lotus to an openwork circle which supports the succession of double and triple rays emanating from an inner circle behind the head.