mibu kōhai 壬生光背

A type of halo *kōhai 光背 found on Buddhist images. A square backdrop is placed behind the body of the figure, and above this a round head halo *zukō 頭光. The border of the zukō is decorated with Chinese-style plant motifs *karakusamon 唐草 in openwork *sukashibori 透彫. Five groups of three fine metal spokes emerge from the center of the zukō. The term mibu kōhai derives from the halo on the Jizō Bosatsu-zō 地蔵菩薩像 (10-11th century) in Mibudera 壬生寺, Kyoto, which was destroyed by fire in 1962. The best surviving example can be seen on the Miroku Bosatsu-zō 弥勒菩薩像 (1208) in Kōfukuji Hokuendō 興福寺北円堂, Nara.