Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room T5
September 13, 2016 (Tue) - January 9, 2017 (Mon)
Rakuyaji (Koka City, Shiga Prefecture), an ancient temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, has preserved twenty Buddhist statues from the Heian period (794–1192) designated Important Cultural Properties. This number is outstanding even in Shiga Prefecture, where a many fine Buddhist statues remain to this day. This exhibition is the first opportunity to show all twenty of these statues outside Rakuyaji Temple. The principal deity, a Seated Juichimen Kannon Bosatsu (Ekadasamukha), is approximately three meters high, exhibiting overwhelming presence. It is a “hidden” statue that is usually kept behind large, heavy doors. Other works on exhibit include eleven other Kannon (Avalokitesvara) statues, a Standing Bishamon Ten (Vaisravana), which somehow gives a familiar impression, and a Seated Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha), which is an exceptional statue created in 1187. This exhibition shows, in one sweep, masterpieces of Heian-period Buddhist sculpture preserved in Rakuyaji Temple.
