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 centre of the zukō. The term mibu kōhai derives from the halo on the Jizō Bosatsuzō 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 Bosatsuzō 弥勒菩薩像 (1208) in Kōfukuji Hokuendō 興福寺北円堂, Nara.