Glossary of Buddhist Statue Terms

Japanese Buddhist sculpture, butsuzō, follows a carefully ordered iconography. A figure's rank, gestures, attributes and construction all tell you who is represented and when the work was made. This glossary explains the terms.

The four ranks

• Nyorai. Buddhas, enlightened beings, shown in simple monastic robes.
• Bosatsu. Bodhisattvas, who delay their own enlightenment to help others, shown in princely dress and jewels.
• Myōō. Wisdom kings, wrathful protectors of the teaching.
• Ten. Devas, guardian deities drawn from Indian tradition.

Principal figures

• Shaka. The historical Buddha.
• Amida. The Buddha of the Western Pure Land, central to Pure Land Buddhism.
• Yakushi. The Medicine Buddha, often holding a medicine jar.
• Dainichi. The cosmic Buddha of esoteric Buddhism, shown crowned.
• Kannon. The bodhisattva of compassion, in many forms.
• Jizō. The protector of travellers and children, shown as a monk with a staff and jewel.
• Fudō Myōō. The immovable wisdom king, holding a sword and rope, before flames.
• Bishamonten. Guardian of the north, in armour with a small pagoda.

Hand gestures

• Semui-in. The raised right hand, granting freedom from fear.
• Yogan-in. The lowered hand, granting wishes.
• Jō-in. The meditation gesture, hands resting in the lap.
• Raigō-in. Amida's gesture of welcome to the Pure Land.

Construction

• Ichiboku-zukuri. Carving from a single block of wood.
• Yosegi-zukuri. The joined block technique, perfected by the sculptor Jōchō in the eleventh century.
• Gyokugan. Inlaid crystal eyes, introduced in the late Heian and Kamakura periods.
• Shippaku. Gold leaf over lacquer.
• Kirikane. Patterns of cut gold foil on robes.
• Kondō. Gilt bronze.

Iconographic details

• Kōhai. The halo or mandorla behind the figure.
• Daiza. The pedestal, often a lotus, rengeza.
• Byakugō. The tuft of hair between the eyebrows, often a crystal.
• Nikkei. The cranial protuberance of a Buddha.
• Zushi. A small shrine cabinet that houses a figure.

Collector notes

• Works designated as National Treasures or Important Cultural Properties cannot leave Japan. Most figures available to collectors date from the Edo period or later.
• Old repairs, replaced hands and later gilding are common and should be noted.
• A figure's original pedestal and halo add considerably to its interest.

Related references

• Buddhist altar implements
• Goshuin, omamori and ema
• Glossary of Lacquer Techniques