Jorakuji Temple: Amitabha Buddha Triad

JAPAN, Kanagawa, Yokosuka; Kamakura period

An inscription dates the statues to 1189 and identifies Wada Yoshimori and his wife as the people who commissioned them. It also states the main statue was worked on by the great sculptor Unkei as well as ten assistants. The statues are listed as Important Cultural Properties.
The central figure of Amitabha Buddha sits in full lotus position on a layered lotus throne and is enclosed by a foliated openwork mandorla. Both hands form the upper grade of the lowest class mudra. The Buddha is dressed in a monastic robe that covers one shoulder and is brought around to cover the other. The flanking Bodhisattvas stand barefoot on lotus pedestals and are similar in appearance, with Avalokitesvara on the right and Mahasthamaprapta on the left. The figures’ swaying hips are emphasized by undulating stoles. Both hold a long lotus in the hand that opposes the other. The Bodhisattvas’ hair is arranged about an ornate frame and behind each head is a hollow nimbus.