Seated Kongōsatta holding a vajra

Anonymous artist

Anonymous artist - Seated Kongōsatta holding a vajra
Kongōsatta is one of the central bodhisattvas and a leading deity of the Japanese “True Word” sect, Shingon. When he holds a lotus in his left hand, he is seen as the reincarnation of the bodhisattva Fugen, the female patron saint of enlightenment and literature. The Prague statue is seated in the dhyanasana posture holding a vajra (“meditation sceptre” or “thunderbolt”) in his right hand. The head and body are carved from a single piece of Japanese cypress tree hinoki. The tress of hair on top of his head (turned in the wrong direction during restoration) and hands were carved separately. When assembled, the statue was covered with a layer of paper to which black lacquer was applied; then, it was covered in gold and polychromy. This statue is one of the most elegant in the collections of the National Gallery Prague. It is inspired by the statue of Kongōsatta by Master Kaikei dating from the first quarter of the 13th century that is housed in the Zuishin-in monastery in Kyōto.
date:
measurements: height 66 cm
material: Wood
technique: Polychromy on paper
inscription:
inventory number: Vp 92
gallery collection: Collection of Asian and African Art