Hoshakuji Temple (Takaradera)
Main Image Wooden Seated Enma Daio and Four Attendant Figures (5 statues) Category Other
Impression TagsDignityTense PresenceMystery
DescriptionHoshakuji Temple in Oyamazaki preserves a group of five wooden underworld officials centered on a seated Enma Daio. Dating from the early Kamakura period, the group is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Enma is accompanied by Shimei, Shiroku, Gushoshin and Ankoku Doji, forming a powerful ensemble of judges and attendants of the afterlife. The Kyoto National Museum identifies the group as among the earliest surviving sculptures of this type. Crystal-inlaid eyes and the imposing scale give the figures an exceptional sense of presence. The Enma Hall is normally open to visitors, making this an unusually accessible place to encounter forceful Kamakura-period Buddhist sculpture.
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