Iconography Literacy: Mudra, Attributes, Halos, Flames | Japonista Archive
BUDDHIST STATUES & SACRED ART · ICONOGRAPHY
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Pillar context: Buddhist Statues & Sacred Art (Pillar)
This page teaches you how to read Buddhist statues as a visual language. Every gesture, object, and radiating form communicates role, function, and doctrinal intent.
Visual Grammar Principle
Reliable identification comes from reading gesture (Mudra), objects held (Attributes), and surrounding form (Halos or Flames) together—always within context.
Mudra (hand gestures)
- What to notice: symmetry vs asymmetry; palm direction; finger contact.
- Common pitfall: assuming one mudra equals one identity.
Attributes (objects held)
- What to notice: object logic; scale and placement; integration with the figure.
- Common pitfall: missing removed or lost attributes.
Halos (radiance)
- What to notice: shape; relationship to the body; carving continuity.
Flames (protective energy)
- What to notice: direction and rhythm; integration; balance vs chaos.
Identification Checklist
- Family (Nyorai, Bosatsu, Myoo, Tenbu)
- Mudra
- Attributes
- Halo or flame logic
- Context in a set