Keywords
Art History
Sculpture
A standard lotus pedestal *rengeza 蓮華座 used to support a *daibutsu 大仏 or great Buddha. It consists of: *renniku 蓮肉 (lotus center), gyōren 迎蓮 (turned-up), *renben 蓮弁 (lotus petals), *kaeribana 反花 (ring of turned-down lotus petals), and *kamachiza 框座 (a frame or platform). The Daibutsu of Nara at Tōdaiji 東大寺 has one thousand lotus petals and each petal is approximately 200 cm in height. The petals have hairline engravings *kebori 毛彫 which represent a universe that includes a main Buddha figure. Some of the lotus petals have survived from the original Nara Daibutsu, from ca. 750, so these are very valuable in providing clues to the original appearance of the Buddha.