Onjoji Temple Goho Zenjindo Hall: Hariti
Cypress wood
Onjoji Temple Goho Zenjindo Hall: Hariti
JAPAN, Shiga, Otsu; Kamakura period
Onjoji Temple is known for this 13th century sculpture of Hariti. It was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1928.
The body of the figure is assembled from two separate pieces of hollowed cypress wood. The shoulder-length hair is tied into a topknot. Hariti is cloaked and sitting barefoot on a bench. Her head is tilted to one side as she cradles the baby on which she dotes in her left arm while he holds his arms out to her in this innocent domestic scene. The fruit held in her right hand is a pomegranate, symbolizing the fertility she bestows. The piece seems to owe something to stylistic features of Song dynasty (960–1279) sculptures from China.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Sculpture N-Sr, page 771.
Cite this article:
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 N-Sr},
pages = 771,
title = {{Onjoji Temple Goho Zenjindo Hall: Hariti}},
volume = 12,
year = {2016}}