Shojoji Temple Main Hall: Medicine Buddha Triad

JAPAN, Fukushima, Kawanuma; Heian period

This Medicine Buddha is the main statue at Shojoji Temple and was sculpted from beech wood with the dry lacquer technique used for details. It was listed as a National Treasure in 1996.
The Buddha is seated in half lotus position on a double lotus throne. The cupped left hand holds a medicine pot while the right hand is in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra. The figure’s head is covered in snail-shell curls and the corners of the mouth are turn down solemnly. The monastic robe has boldly carved folds, which emphasizes the sense of solidity. The petal shaped mandorla is decorated with vine-like plants and apsaras, although only one apsara remains. The mandorla incorporates a concentric aureole and nimbus with bead-pattern rims.
The Bodhisattvas Suryaprabha and Candraprabha are on either side of the Medicine Buddha. They stand in contrasting positions on lotus pedestals. Both Bodhisattvas have hair in high topknots and stoles hanging from their shoulders. The serene figures repeat the Buddha’s fearlessness mudra with the hand furthest from him while the inactive inner arm supports a loop of the descending stole.