Koryuji Temple Golden Hall: Twelve Yaksa Generals

JAPAN, Kyoto; Heian period

According to temple records, these yaksa generals were attendants to the Medicine Buddha in the Golden Hall during the Heian period (794–1185). These figures were made by the sculptor Chosei in fulfillment of a vow in 1064. They were carved from single pieces of hollowed cypress wood, the hands being attached separately, and then coated with black lacquer and colored. Second in importance only to the Twelve Yaksa Generals at Shin Yakushiji Temple, they were recognized as National Treasures in 1953.
The weapon-wielding generals wear full armor over a tunic. Their individual realism is typical of the refined sculptural style of the Enpa workshop. Of the two examples pictured, the helmeted Andira leans to one side, his weight on the left foot, and runs his eye over an arrow’s fletching. Kumbhira has a circular flame-patterned nimbus to match his bristling hair. His face is drawn in a ferocious grimace as he steadies the hilt of his sword with his left hand and balances his body for action with the other.