Kochozenji Temple
Main Image Wooden Seated Muso Kokushi Category Other
Impression TagsNobilityTense PresenceDepth
DescriptionThis wooden seated portrait of Muso Kokushi is preserved at Kochozenji Temple. An ink inscription inside the image shows that it was made in 1357, the seventh memorial year of Muso Soseki, by the Nara master Buddhist sculptor Gyosei and others. The 82.5 cm figure is made from hinoki cypress using joined-block construction, with crystal eyes and coloring over a black-lacquer ground. Its slender face and sloping shoulders capture the teacher’s distinctive appearance, while the calm expression retains the austere gaze of a Zen monk. An Important Cultural Property of Japan with a clearly documented date and makers, the statue requires an advance reservation for viewing.
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