Standing Statue of Kichijōten
| Standing Statue of Kichijōten | |
|---|---|
| Japanese: 厨子入木造吉祥天立像（浄瑠璃寺) Zushi-iri mokuzō Kisshōten ryūzō (Jōruri-ji) | |
| Artist | Attributed to either Kaikei or Unkei |
| Year | 1212 |
| Catalogue | 01071 |
| Medium | wood |
| Movement | Kei school |
| Subject | Śrīmahādevī |
| Dimensions | 90 cm (35 in) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property |
| Location | Kizugawa, Kyoto |
| Owner | Jōruri-ji |
The Standing Statue of Kichijōten (Japanese: 厨子入木造吉祥天立像, Hepburn: Zushi-iri mokuzō Kisshōten ryūzō) is a 13th-century Japanese Buddhist sculpture depicting the devi Śrīmahādevī, an East Asian Buddhist manifestation of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.[1][2] Housed in the hondō (Main Hall) of Jōruri-ji (National Treasure), the sculpture is classified as an Important Cultural Property and is considered the most representative piece of the deity.[1][3][4] The preservation of original polychromy is attributed to the image being a hibutsu ('secret Buddha'), which is only displayed to the public a few times a year.[1]
History
Kichijōten saw prominence in the Nara period as a deity of wealth and virtue, through the Golden Light Sutra.[2] The conventions of her image developed through sculptures and paintings held in Tōdai-ji (746), Saidai-ji, Hōryū-ji (748) and Yakushi-ji (771), in the form of a Tang dynasty noblewoman, with a rich embroidered dress and a plump face.[1][2]
The sculpture was completed and placed in the Main Hall of the temple in 1212 (Kenryaku 2) as part of a renovation by Jōkei, based upon the temple history record the Jōruri-ji ryūki (浄瑠璃寺流記).[1][4][5] The sculptor's identity is unknown, but scholarly attributions have narrowed it down to either Kaikei or Unkei, prominent heads of the Kei school.[5][4]
The policy of haibutsu kishaku (expulsion of Buddhism) during the Meiji Restoration resulted in the de-accessioning of seven painted panels from the zushi miniature shrine associated with the statue.[6][7] The municipal records indicate that the temple lost the panels around 1883 to 1884.[6] They were then acquired by the Tokyo University of the Arts (then Tokyo Fine Arts School) in 1889, where they are held today.[1][6][8] A replica created by the school replaced the original.[1]
The sculpture gained the status of what is now Important Cultural Property on 18 December 1897.[3] The original shrine panels also have the same status.[6][9]
As a hibutsu, the sculpture is only on view to the public from January 1st to 15th, March 21st to May 20th, and October 1st to November 30th.[1]
Description
Measuring 90 cm (35 in) high, Kichijōten is rendered in the dress of a Tang dynasty Chinese noblewoman, in polychromy, and carved from hinoki, and stored in a small shrine next to nine large Heian period sculptures of Amitābha, designated National Treasure.[1] Her right hand is positioned in the varadamudra (wish granting), with the raised left hand holding a hōju, a wish fulfilling jewel.[1][2] The statue utilizes a combination of realist features, as well as a stylistic approach that manifests with evenly spaced folds of the dress, and symmetrical placement of the knee-coverings and ribbon around the waist.[5]
The shrine that encases the sculpture is composed of seven panels depicting the Four Heavenly Kings and other entities derived from the Hindu pantheon: Benzaiten (Saraswati), Taishakuten, Bonten (Brahma), Jikokuten, Zochoten, Komokuten, and Tamonten.[6] The panel depicting Benazaiten is accompanied by four attendants: Kareiteimo (safe childbirth), Kenrojishin (earth), and two male guardians: Hōkentaishō and Shōryōchitaishō.[6]
The sculpture and shrine combine the artistic styles of the Tang, the Tenpyō period, as well as the more contemporary adaptation of Song dynasty and Kamakura period art.[5][6]
Photographer Ken Domon recognized the sculpture as the "most perfect depiction of feminine beauty among all the Buddhist images in Japan" and frequently took pictures of it during his career.[1] Photographer Muda Tomohiro describes the statue evoking a "selfless love and compassion of a mother for her children".[1]
Attribution
Though the sculptor of the statue remains unknown, scholarship has narrowed down the attribution to either Kaikei or Unkei of the Kei school style of Kamakura sculpture.[4][6]
Attribution to Kaikei stems from his Anna-miyō (安阿弥様, Anna style), defined by his characteristic usage of realistic expression, which manifests on Kichijōten in the form of elegant expression, dimples, and neatly folded clothing.[5][10] Contemporary works such as an Amida triad at Jōdo-ji, and sculptures at Tōdai-ji indicates Kaikei's skill in integrating Nara-style and Song influences into his work.[5] Additionally, Kaikei and Jōkei fostered a close relationship through eye-opening ceremonies at the sites, as well as a statue commissioned in 1212, recorded in Jōkei's Myōhonsho.[5]
Attribution to Unkei has been based on similarities with a Taishakuten statue at Takisan-ji in Aichi Prefecture, though further investigation is warranted.[4]
See also
- Statue of Chōgen: National Treasure sculpture of Chōgen with debated attribution to Unkei and Kaikei
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Standing Image of Kisshōten, Jōruriji, Kyoto". Nippon.com. 2025-10-29. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ^ a b c d "JAANUS / Kichijouten 吉祥天". Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ^ a b 国指定文化財等データベース (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ^ a b c d e Numinous Minamiyamashiro: Treasures from the Mountains between Nara and Kyoto (Special Exhibition Celebrating the Completion of Repairs to Jōruriji's National Treasure Amida Statues). Nara: Nara National Museum (published 8 July 2023). 2023. p. 10.
- ^ a b c d e f g 解脱房貞慶上人と浄瑠璃寺吉祥天｜海老原 真紀(帝塚山大学 奈良学総合文化研究所) (in Japanese). Kaijūsen-ji. Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g h 「日本一の美人」を納めた厨子の中へ！ 重文《浄瑠璃寺吉祥天厨子絵》の謎を徹底解説 ｜ 和樂web 美の国ニッポンをもっと知る！. 和樂web 美の国ニッポンをもっと知る！ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-11-11.
- ^ 浄瑠璃寺吉祥天厨子絵 [Jōruri-ji Kisshōten Zushi-e] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ^ 弁才天および四眷属像 [Benzaiten and Four Attendants] (in Japanese). The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ^ 重要文化財「浄瑠璃寺吉祥天厨子絵のうち弁財天及び四眷属像」東京藝術大学蔵の現状模写 [A Precise Reproduction of Important Cultural Property "Benzai-ten and Four Dependents" in "Joruri temple" in the Collection of Tokyo University of The Arts] (in Japanese and English). The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts. Retrieved 2025-11-27.
- ^ "Kaikei | Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha) | Japan | Kamakura period (1185–1333)". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2024-02-17.