Toshodaiji Temple Golden Hall: Vairocana Buddha

JAPAN, Nara; Nara period

The large dry lacquer Vairocana Buddha in Toshodaiji Temple’s Golden Hall dates from the late Nara period (710–794). During restoration, it was discovered that the statue is supported with an inner framework to prevent warping and distortion. Several names are included in an inked inscription on the inner sides of the throne’s support suggesting the sculpture was created by artisans from a governmental workshop. But according to temple records, it was made by Yijing, a disciple of Master Jianzhen who traveled to Japan during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The figure was listed as a National Treasure in 1951.
The Buddha sits in full lotus posture on an eight-layered lotus throne, wearing a monastic robe with folds rippling gently outwards. The left hand rests on the knee with the middle and little fingers slightly flexed. The right hand of the Buddha makes the lotus mudra. The complex mandorla represents the Lotus Treasury World described in the Brahmajala Sutra. Only 864 of the 1,000 seated Buddhas originally fastened to the mandorla remain. The lotus petals on the throne were once painted with an image of Sakyamuni Buddha, but they have faded.
The figure is emphatic in its fullness of form, broad shoulders, and imposing demeanor. It may have been influenced by contemporary Chinese figures.