Onjoji Temple Shinra Zenjindo Hall: Shinra Myojin

JAPAN, Shiga, Otsu; Heian period

As Master Enchin was bringing Buddhist teachings back from China, he is said to have encountered a deity who offered to become a Dharma protector, identified as Shinra Myojin. The sculpture was listed as a National Treasure in 1956.
The head and the body were carved from a whole piece of cypress wood, while smaller peripheral sections were separately attached. The bearded figure wears a three-peaked headdress in the shape of a mountain. Beneath a deeply creased forehead, the staring eyes are placed diagonally. The figure has a high collared gown and sits in half lotus position with the sole of the right foot upturned. The slender fingers of the raised right hand are bent inwards while the curled left hand is lowered, suggesting that the figure may originally have carried some objects in them.
The statue has retained its original colors. The corners of the eyes are painted reddish-orange and the skin white. The hair and beard are traced with bluish-green. The skirt is ornamented with fine gold floral patterns and the dark clothing with curled grass. The statue is rather unique compared with other sculptures of foreign deities found in Japanese temples.