Toshodaiji Temple
Main Image Standing Four Heavenly Kings Category Tenbu (Deva)
Impression TagsPowerDignityTense Presence
DescriptionThe National Treasure standing Four Heavenly Kings occupy the four corners of the altar in Toshodaiji Temple's Kondo. Dating to the 8th century of the Nara period, they are wooden sculptures with dry-lacquer additions and polychrome decoration, and are thought to have been made at the same time and by the same workshop as the hall's Bonten and Taishakuten figures. Wearing armor, the four guardians hold different weapons and assume distinct poses as protectors of the Buddhist teaching. Their rounded faces, weighty expressions, and powerful bodies convey the force of Tenpyo sculpture. They can normally be viewed in the Kondo from 8:30 to 17:00, with admission until 16:30.
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