Byodoin Temple Phoenix Hall: Lotus Throne
Cypress wood
Byodoin Temple Phoenix Hall: Lotus Throne
JAPAN, Kyoto, Uji; Heian period
This lotus throne was made in 1053 during the Heian period. It was originally enclosed within the seated Amitabha Buddha statue enshrined in the Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Temple, but was later removed. In recent years, the throne was again enclosed within the statue during its restoration. As part of the statue, the throne was listed as a National Treasure in 1951.
The throne is made from cypress and consists of a circular base, lotus petals, and a white moon disc. The base consists of two tiers with a narrow red band at the top. Above the base there are inverted lotus petals colored in tones of red and green, followed by three tiers of bright red upright lotus petals. There are 122 Sanskrit syllables engraved on the throne.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts, page 27.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youji and Pokorski, Stefanie and Mankuang and Fan, Wen,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts },
pages = 27,
title = {{Byodoin Temple Phoenix Hall: Lotus Throne}},
volume = 18,
year = {2016}}