Muroji Temple Golden Hall: Sakyamuni Buddha

JAPAN, Nara, Uda; Heian period

This is the main statue enshrined in the Golden Hall at Muroji Temple. The head and main body of the statue are made from a single piece of hollowed nutmeg wood to which was joined the separately carved arms, sleeves, and robes. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1952.
The Buddha stands with feet parallel on the edge of an eight-layered lotus pedestal, wearing a monastic robe that leaves much of the chest bare. The figure’s right arm is raised in the abhaya (fearlessness) mudra and the left hand hangs down with the middle and ring finger bent, a position usually identified with the Medicine Buddha. The seven seated Buddhas on the outer edge of the mandorla also belong iconographically to the Medicine Buddha, whereas this figure has been identified as Sakyamuni. The clothing features an alternating pattern of one deep fold and two shallow folds that have been highlighted with gold lacquer paint.
The flame-shaped mandorla extends to the ceiling. Graduated colors are used to depict the abstract patterns of the inner rim and the foliate patterns of the outer rim, amidst which the seven manifestations also occur.