Also *mikenkō 眉間光, miken byakugō 眉間白毫, miken byakugōsō 眉間白毫相 (Sk: urna). A curl of white hair in the middle of the forehead or between the eyebrows of a sculpted figure. Found on images of the Buddha, and also on many bodhisattva *bosatsu 菩薩 and other Buddhist deities. One of the 32 attributes of the Buddha *sanjūnisō 三十二相. According to Mahayanist Buddhism, daijō bukkyō 大乗仏教, the byakugō is said to emit a ray of light that illuminates the universe. In sculpture, especially wooden figures, the byakugō was most commonly represented by an inlaid precious stone. A cylindrical crystal, often quartz, was embedded in the forehead. In some early examples, the byakugō was represented by a round wooden mark carved in relief. Other figures, on which this mark is now missing, are thought to have been painted in white pigment, which has since faded.
