tōza 榻座

A cylindrical seat or round pedestal *daiza 台座 for a Buddhist image. Many images in the half cross-legged position *hanka fuza 半跏趺座 are seated on this type of pedestal. There is often a separate small footrest which may take the form of a lotus flower for the pendant foot of cross-legged images seated on a tōza. When the robe of the image covers the pedestal, it may also be called *mokakeza 裳懸座. There are many small bronze bodhisattva *bosatsu 菩薩 images from the 7th century seated on tōza, but the wooden Miroku bosatsu hanka-zō 弥勒菩薩半跏像 at Kōryūji 広隆寺 (early 7th century) in Kyoto, may be the best-known example.