chakushu ちゃく手

Also takushu 磔手 and chōshu 張手 (Sk: vitasti). A unit of measure that originated in India, used in the creation of Buddhist statues and temples. One chakushu was twelve shi 指 (Sk: angula), and two chakushu became one chū 肘 (Sk: hasta). One chakushu was said to be the length between the tops of a thumb and a middle finger when a hand was fully open, which was generally calculated into eight sun 寸, or approximately 24.5 cm. However, there were several other conversion rates. Chakushu was used for small Buddhist images (see *itchakushuhan 一ちゃく手半), and chū is used in Esoteric Buddhism mikkyō 密教 to measure the height of Buddhist images and the length of their platforms *dan 壇.