Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals - Andira
Cypress wood
Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals - Mihira
Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals
JAPAN, Nara; Heian period
There are differing accounts of the origins of these demonic bas-reliefs, ascribing them to either Gangoji Temple or Kofukuji Temple, which are both in Nara. Carved in the 12th century from flat pieces of cypress wood, they have been internally strengthened for support. They were listed as a National Treasure in 1953.
Almost caricatures, the images of the Medicine Buddha’s Twelve Yaksa Generals are individually portrayed as they furiously posture, muscles bulging, mouths agape and crowned in flame-patterned headgear. Their stoles and clothing fly about them, enhancing the sense of violent movement.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, page 543.
Cite this article:
Hsingyun, et al. "Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals." Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, vol. 11, 2016, pp. 543.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Yann Lovelock, Yuan Chou, Susan Huntington, Gary Edson, and Robert Neather. 2016. "Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals" In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M, 11:543.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Lovelock, Y., Chou, Y., Huntington, S., Edson, G., & Neather, R.. (2016). Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals. In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M (Vol. 11, pp. 543).
@misc{Hsingyun2016,
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M},
pages = 543,
title = {{Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals}},
volume = 11,
year = {2016}}
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Lovelock, Yann and Chou, Yuan and Huntington, Susan and Edson, Gary and Neather, Robert,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture G-M},
pages = 543,
title = {{Kofukuji Temple: Twelve Yaksa Generals}},
volume = 11,
year = {2016}}