Nissekiji Temple Rock Carvings

JAPAN, Toyama, Nakaniikawa

These carvings are located on a vertical section of tuff that leans slightly inward, halfway up a hill. The works were sculpted near the end of the 12th century between the late Heian (794–1185) and early Kamakura (1185–1333) periods and repairs were made in 1342. The carvings are listed as an Important Cultural Property.
There are five figures, centered upon the 346.5 cm high seated Acala. Amitabha Buddha and attendant Kinkara sit to the right, and are 113 cm and 220 cm high. A tall monk, 103 cm in height, sits to the left of the Buddha, and is said to represent the monastic sculptor Gyoki. A standing attendant, Cetaka, is adjacent to the monk, measuring 220 cm high. The figures are carved in bas-relief except for the attendants, which are carved in high relief. While the features of some of these figures are polished, others still bear traces of chisel marks. The Amitabha Buddha and the monk are thought to have been added later during the Kamakura period (1185–1333). The dominant figure, Acala, is crowned with a lotus. Acala glares furiously, gnawing the lower lip, while a braid of hair hangs down to the chest. He holds an sword upright in the right hand and a lasso in the left hand.