Toji Temple: Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with Brahma and Sakra

JAPAN, Kyoto; Kamakura period

These statues were once located in the imperial palace in Kyoto. They were moved to Toji Temple in 1393 and the main statue was used in the ceremony held in the first lunar month of every year. This set of sculptures was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1959.
The figures are carved out of primed white sandalwood with details accentuated in color and gold foil. The middle statue depicts Avalokitesvara with the right hand making a mudra and the other hand holding a lotus bud. Brahma, holding a small fan flanks the Bodhisattva, and Sakra with a vajra in his right hand is on the left. The three figures stand on lotus pedestals, with Avalokitesvara’s being the tallest and most elaborate. All three wear elaborate headdresses and have stoles that drape down their body. Avalokitesvara is also adorned with intricate jewelry that descends the length of the body and overlaps the lotus pedestal. The Bodhisattva’s aureole and nimbus are enclosed by a vine-like openwork mandorla made from gilt bronze. The two supporting figures are given only a radiating nimbus encircled by metalwork of the same design.