Horyuji Temple Golden Hall: Apsara Playing a Flute
Wood
Horyuji Temple Golden Hall: Apsara Playing a Flute
JAPAN, Nara, Ikoma; Hakuho period
This wooden apsara was part of a set that were originally hung on the square canopy above the Sakyamuni Buddha Triad in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple. There are 24 apsaras in total, which are now kept in the temple’s Great Treasure Hall and listed as Important Cultural Properties.
The head, body, and lotus throne are carved as one, and the lotus petals are inserted using rebate joints. This apsara has an oval face with hair tied in two topknots. Kneeling on a lotus throne and playing a flute, the apsara is backed by a symmetrical mandorla in openwork decorated with lotuses and scrolling vines.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts, page 131.
Cite this article:
Hsingyun, et al. "Horyuji Temple Golden Hall: Apsara Playing a Flute." Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts , vol. 18, 2016, pp. 131.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Youji, Stefanie Pokorski, Mankuang, and Wen Fan. 2016. "Horyuji Temple Golden Hall: Apsara Playing a Flute" In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts , 18:131.
Hsingyun, Youheng, Youji, Pokorski, S., Mankuang, & Fan, W.. (2016). Horyuji Temple Golden Hall: Apsara Playing a Flute. In Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts (Vol. 18, pp. 131).
@misc{Hsingyun2016,
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youji and Pokorski, Stefanie and Mankuang and Fan, Wen,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts },
pages = 131,
title = {{Horyuji Temple Golden Hall: Apsara Playing a Flute}},
volume = 18,
year = {2016}}
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youji and Pokorski, Stefanie and Mankuang and Fan, Wen,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Artifacts },
pages = 131,
title = {{Horyuji Temple Golden Hall: Apsara Playing a Flute}},
volume = 18,
year = {2016}}