Also daibusshi-shiki 大仏師職, zōbutsu-chōkan 造仏長官. An important Buddhist sculptor *…

Also jōrokubutsu 丈六仏. The term used to describe a very large statue of Buddha. Originally any statue more than…

A standard lotus pedestal *rengeza 蓮華座 used to support a *…

Also sōgyari 僧伽梨 (Sk: sanghati). A robe worn by Buddhist priests. The largest of the three robes *…

1　An abbreviation for *Daikokuten 大黒天 (Sk: Mahakala). Regarded by…

A pedestal or dais upon which a Buddhist image is placed. The type of pedestal is related to the type of image it supports…

Also dakkanshitsu 脱乾漆, dakkatsu kanshitsuzō 脱活乾漆像, dakkatsu kanshitsu-zukuri 脱活乾漆造. Hollow dry…

A Buddhist statue made from fragrant, fine-grained wood such as white sandalwood *…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 used to represent a terrestrial spirit or a dragon god.…

Gold eyes. A Noh mask, *nōmen 能面, representing a mature woman who carries within…

Also hōdō 宝幢, tendō 天幢, or bandō 幡幢. A small, rectangular cloth banner on a pole used as a…

The movable face plate. The most elaborate gimmick used on the bugaku mask, *…

Rotating eyes, a gimmick used for many bugaku masks, *bugakumen 舞楽面…

Lit. child, young boy.

1　A boy between 8 and 20 years old living in a Buddhist temple. He studies…

Decorative drapery used on statues in the Kamakura region from the late Kamakura period. The drapery was made in clay relief…

A technique where a mixture of animal glue, *nikawa 膠, and powdered burnt clay…

Bronze work. Bronze casting has been very important in Japan since ancient times, and was used for Yayoi period dōtaku…

Also hōbachi 宝鉢 (Sk: patra). A bowl used by Buddhist monks for meals, and as a begging bowl. The hachi is rounded and deep…

Also read hachijū shukō, hachijū zuigyōgō 八十随形好 hachijū zuigōsō 八十随好相. The 80 auspicious bodily…

The joining or gluing together of parts when making a wooden statue or vessel. Originally the term meant sticking feathers…

A Buddhist image contained in a box-shaped miniature shrine. Two symmetrical rectangular wings flank a main image, carved in…

Also hakuire 箔入れ, hakuoki 箔置き. Making a design by stitching gold, silver, or colored foil with glue onto…

An artist who applies gold or silver leaf *shippaku 漆箔 to the surface of a…

Bumpynosed fierce old man. A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a…

Lit. half *jōroku 丈六. A measure of height for a Buddhist statue. Eight …

Also hanka 半跏, hankaza 半跏坐, hanfuza 半趺坐, daibosatsuza 大菩薩坐, and bosatsuza 菩薩坐.…

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a female serpent-demon filled…

1　A pictorial subject based on "The Lady at the Bridge" Hashihime, Chapter 45 of Genji…

Also written 廿一. Lit. Barely twenty. Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the…

Also hatasode 端袖, hiresode 鰭袖. A style of sleeve found on Buddhist images. The sleeve of the robe is tied…

Written 折, 片木, or 剥.

1　A sculpture process of thinly shaving or scraping.

…

A noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing a strong warrior in full maturity. Wide open…

A style of wearing a Buddhist robe where the right shoulder is exposed. Frequently seen on *…

Also pronounced hensan, or called fukuken-e 覆肩衣, which literally means garment covering the shoulders. A…

Lit. secret Buddha. A Buddhist image which is ordinarily kept secret. Hibutsu are enshrined in miniature shrines *…

Two noh masks *nōmen 能面 used one in the first and the other in the second act of…

Also hiregata tenne 鰭形天衣. Lit. fin-shaped heavenly scarf. A long, ornamental scarf (see *…

Also hitenkō 飛天光. Lit. flying apsaras nimbus. A halo *kōhai 光背,…

A decoration in the shape of a lion's head *shigami 獅噛, found on…

Also suibyō 瓶. A flower vase, found as an attribute *jimotsu 持物…

1　Also pronounced hōshu. A sacred gem. Usually a ball or tear-drop shape object that is sacred to…

A type of nimbus *zukō 頭光, or halo, found on a Buddhist image in the shape…

Also tenkan 天冠. A crown on a Buddhist sculpture. Usually made in wood or bronze openwork *…

A statue of Buddha wearing a crown ornamented with precious stones. This tradition originated in India, first with crowned…

Also hōkei 寶髻. The hair of a sculpted figure tied up on top of the head in a topknot. Found on bodhisattva *…

Lit. Dharma-realm meditation mudra. Hokkai 法界 is the Dharma-realm, (Sk: dharmadhatu), and jōin is an…

Sk: ratnapeta. Lit. a box for treasures. The treasures referred to are sutras. As a *…

A manner of representing drapery folds in Buddhist sculpture, in which high rounded curves regularly alternate with low…

The principal image (or group of images) of worship at a Buddhist temple or a single building within the temple complex. The…

Also read hora. Also written 宝螺. Also sometimes called ra 螺. Sk: dharmasankha. A conch shell used as a…

Measurements of a Buddhist statue and attachments. They include:

sōkō 総高: full height including the…

Also sujikō 筋光, nukigokō 貫後光, and kasagokō 傘御光. A radial nimbus. A type of the…

Also hassai 髪際. Lit. Hairline. The point where the hair meets the forehead on a sculpted figure. The hairline is…

Also 白払. A kind of brush, used to drive away insects during meditation. The hossu originated in ancient India, and…

The act of passing a Buddhist statue from the hands of the artist to the temple that commissioned the piece. Because the…

Also hōfukuzō 法服像. Lit. portrait in religious (i.e. Buddhist) appearance. A portrait of a person who has taken…