Jorakuji Temple
Main Image Wooden Standing Figures of the Twenty-Eight Attendants Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityTense Presence
DescriptionThe Wooden Standing Figures of the Twenty-Eight Attendants are displayed as an ensemble in the National Treasure Main Hall of Jorakuji Temple. Dating from the Kamakura period, they are thought to have been carved by multiple sculptors between 1308 and 1314, and all twenty-eight figures are designated Important Cultural Properties of Japan. These guardian deities attend the Thousand-Armed Kannon and include vividly individual figures such as Karura and the elephant-headed Gobu Jokoten. Made with joined-wood construction and crystal eyes, the statues powerfully render musculature, armor, and ritual attributes. Complete Kamakura-period sculptural ensembles of the Twenty-Eight Attendants are exceptionally rare, with Jorakuji and Kyoto's Sanjusangendo among the best-known examples. They can be viewed at close range in the Main Hall by advance reservation.
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