Saishoin Temple
Main Image Standing Wooden Kongo Rikishi Statues (Agyo and Ungyo) Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityTense Presence
DescriptionThe standing wooden Kongo Rikishi statues at Saishoin Temple's Nio Gate form a pair of Agyo and Ungyo guardians. Inscriptions in ink and an inscription tablet found inside the statues during restoration revealed that they were created in Jo'o 2 (1653) by the Buddhist sculptor Ukon, who belonged to the tradition of Kyoto's Shichijo Bussho school. Agyo stands 277.3 cm high and Ungyo 275.1 cm; both are made using joined-block construction, with polychrome decoration and inlaid crystal eyes. They are regarded as the oldest surviving Kongo Rikishi statues in Aomori Prefecture. After extensive dismantling and restoration, they returned to the temple in 2023 and were designated Tangible Cultural Properties of Hirosaki City in 2024. They can now be viewed and worshipped at the Nio Gate.
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