Triads (Sanzon)

A triad, sanzon (三尊), is a principal deity flanked by two attendants. It is the most common grouping in Buddhist sculpture and painting, and knowing the standard sets is one of the fastest ways to identify a figure that has become separated from its companions.

The principal triads

Centre Attendants Tradition
Amida Kannon and Seishi Pure Land
Shaka Monju and Fugen Many schools
Shaka The disciples Kāśyapa and Ānanda Zen
Yakushi Nikkō and Gakkō, sun and moon Healing
Fudō Kongara and Seitaka Dōji Esoteric
Bishamonten Kichijōten and Zennishi Dōji Kuramadera and others

Left and right

The attendants are described from the principal figure's point of view. In an Amida triad, Kannon is usually the left attendant, standing on the viewer's right, and Seishi the right attendant. In a Shaka triad, Monju on his lion is usually on the Buddha's left and Fugen on his elephant on the right. Practice varies, so attributes are always the final test.

One halo, three figures

In the earliest Japanese sculpture, triads often share a single great halo, ikkō sanzon. The Shaka triad of Hōryūji and the secret Amida triad of Zenkōji in Nagano, copied in thousands of small bronzes, are the best-known examples.

Larger ensembles

Triads grow into larger groups: Yakushi with the Twelve Generals, Senju Kannon with the Twenty-eight Attendants, Amida with twenty-five bodhisattvas in raigō, and the mandalas of esoteric Buddhism.

Collecting notes

  • A triad that has stayed together, especially in its original zushi, is worth much more than three separate figures.
  • A single bodhisattva with a slight sway towards one side may be an attendant; the direction of the sway shows which side it stood.

In the collection

Browse triads and Amida triads. Our collector concierge can search Japan for a complete triad.

See also

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