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Matsumushidera Temple: Seven Medicine Buddhas
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Matsumushidera Temple: Seven Medicine Buddhas
JAPAN, Chiba, Inzai; Kamakura period (1185–1333); Nutmeg wood; H: 54.3 cm
The central Buddha raises his right hand in abhaya (fearlessness) mudra while the left rests on the thigh and carries a medicine pot. The figure is sitting in full lotus position on a many-petaled lotus throne that is mounted on a four-layered octagonal base. Accompanying the Buddha are six standing figures that have features similar to the main figure as they are the Medicine Buddha’s manifestations. They too wear monastic robes that open over the chest and make the gesture of fearlessness, but they carry their medicine pot in such a way that the hand forms the karana (warding off evil) mudra. The way the folds of their robes divide over the thighs is reminiscent of the bygone Heian period (794–1185). The sculptural configuration is listed as an Important Cultural Property. |
