Yokokuraji Temple Three-Story Pagoda: Vairocana Buddha

JAPAN, Gifu, Ibi; Heian period

An inscription inside the statue’s hollowed back states that it was commissioned by Taira no Shigechika in 1183 and was made by the sculptor Chikuzen. Another inscription records repair work that was carried out in 1284. It was listed as an Important Cultural Property in 1914.
The sculpture is assembled from several pieces of wood with eyes inlaid with semi-precious stones. The interior of the statue contains nine scrolls of the Casket Seal Dharani Sutra. Vairocana’s hair is elaborately arranged into a topknot and surrounded by a flower patterned fillet. The figure is seated in full lotus position on a double-lotus throne supported upon a hexagonal base. The hands are in the bodhyangi (wisdom fist) mudra. An intricate necklace covers the chest while a stole crosses the body from the left shoulder. The wave-like intersecting folds of the stole and skirt are stylistically depicted. The statue marks the stylistic transition from the Heian (794–1185) to the Kamakura (1185–1333) period.