Sk: a-hum. 'A' is the sound of the first letter of the Sanskrit alphabet and is pronounced with the mouth open.…

A raised platform with a *tatami 畳 mat on top, often having a brightly…

A statue of a figure with its mouth open. Usually seen on one of a pair of guardian kings *Niō…

Also written as 阿瘤尉. A Noh mask *nōmen 能面, representing a dignified, old man who…

A dance piece in *bugaku 舞楽, as well as the mask *…

Lit. nun. A character in kyōgen 狂言 plays, represented by a masked figure *…

One of a group of chanted prayers used to express penitence to various Buddhist deities. Prayers of repentance to *…

Also read Amida kuhon-in. Lit. Mudras of the nine grades of Amida. The Pure Land jōdo 浄土 into which *…

The simplest form of robe that a Buddhist priest wears when he is either resting or at work. The andae is one of…

A style of Buddhist statuary originated by Kaikei 快慶 (?-1189-1221-?), a devout believer in the Pure Land sect, Jōdokyō …

Lit. rough cutting. The second stage in the making of a wooden statue. The first stage is to cut a large block of timber the…

Lit. rough clay. Clay mixed with other materials (known as *susa すさ),…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing an old man. The broad bone structure, direct…

Also written 麻緒, 麻苧, asahimo 麻紐, asa-ito 麻糸. Cord or thread made from hemp, asa 麻, and Chinese…

Lit. foot-tenon. A rectangular piece of wood that projects from the sole of a standing wooden statue and fits into a…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 of the basic emaciated *…

Also written 霊神, 網像, 危. Noh masks *nōmen 能面, representing a wraith or a…

Also written 阿夜岐理 and called Aikirijo 愛嗜女. A dance piece in *bugaku 舞楽 and a…

Noh mask *nōmen 能面, representing *Fudō …

Deep. A noh mask, *nōmen 能面, representing a middle-aged woman torn by…

The part of a lotus-petal base, *rengeza 蓮華座, for a Buddhist image…

1　Also written 葺返. A board which projects diagonally out from the top of a statue canopy, *…

1　The arrangement of muntins, lattice (*fukiyose gōshi…

Also fukiyosebuki 吹寄葺, fukiyose renben 吹寄蓮弁, or *fukiyose…

The god of happiness, represented in kyōgen 狂言 plays by a masked figure, *…

Replica casting. A technique used in metal casting, where a simple, flat metal object was covered with clay to make a mold.…

Also funagatakō 舟形光. Lit. boat-shaped halo. A halo, *kōhai 光背, with a…

Also read fundame. A technique of coating a statue with gold. Used during and after the Kamakura period. The figure…

Also funnugyō 忿怒形 or shinnusō 瞋怒相. An angry expression found on Buddhist images. The opposite of *…

Also pronounced funsōe or funsōi. A Buddhist monk's robe made from rags. According to Buddhist tradition,…

Lit. cloth masks. Also sakumen 作面. Eighth-century burlap (ramie) pieces with a human face sketched in the…

Knotted zō. A noh mask, *nōmen 能面, representing a mature young woman. A…

Abbreviation of either the *kekka fuza 結跏趺坐 (full-lotus posture) or the *…