Saidaiji Temple: Master Eizon

JAPAN, Nara; Kamakura period

The statue of Master Eizon, portrayed at 80 years of age, is from the late Kamakura period (1185–1333). According to the inscription found inside, the statue was commissioned by Eizon’s disciples and sculpted by Zenshun, Shunsho, Zenjitsu, and Gyoshun in 1280. The interior of the head contains a copper cylinder with silver threads twisted into a spiral shape. Other items contained within the statue include a bronze octagonal five-tier pagoda, a seed-syllable mandala, mantras, prayers vowing to make sculptures, several texts including the Lotus Sutra and Golden Light Sutra, and the Records of Self-Ordination. The sculpture was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1924.
The statue is assembled from several pieces of wood, with an inlay of semi-precious stone for the eyes. Much of the original paint has faded. Eizon is depicted dressed in monastic robes and carrying a whisk in the left hand. The wide sleeves fall to either side as the figure sits very upright in full lotus position. The way the folds of the clothes are haphazardly placed is notably realistic.