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…

Spiral shaped curls of hair, like snail-shells, on the head of a *nyorai…

Lit. "welcoming mudra." A mudra or hand gesture *in 印 in which the forefinger,…

A net-like ornament strung with jewels or precious metals and hung from the canopy *…

Lit. "lotus petal."
1　A pendant *gatō 瓦当, found on semi-…

Also renza 蓮座. Lit. "Lotus base" (Sk: padmasana). A dais for a Buddhist image *…

The central section of a lotus flower pedestal *rengeza 蓮華座 on which a Buddhist image usually…

A manner of representing drapery folds in Buddhist sculpture. It consists of either 

1) a high…

Ch: Lishi. A gigaku mask *gigakumen 伎楽面…

Ch: Lin Hejing (967-1028). A noted poet, calligrapher and scholar of the Northern Song dynasty. Rin Nasei's real name was…

A type of halo *kōhai 光背 used on Buddhist images, forming a free-…

The royal ease position (Sk: Maharajalilasana). A seated position used for a Buddhist image with one knee (usually…

Also rōgata chūzō 蝋型鋳造, rōgata imono 蝋型鋳物. A method of metal casting known as the lost-wax…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the aged, yet beautiful face of…

A Buddhist sculpture workshop *bussho 仏所, active from the 11th-14th century and…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the suffering spirit of a woman…

Also Raryōō 羅陵王, Ranryōō 蘭陵王 (King Lanling), and Ryūō 龍王 (Dragon King, see *…

Also read ritsuzō. A Buddhist image which is standing, as opposed to seated (see *…