Also written 中子. Sometimes known as *ogata 雄型. Inner mould. When a metal statue…

Lit. "Becoming bestial." A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 used for the wife taking revenge…

A general term for Buddhist sculptors *busshi 仏師 working in Nara…

Also nankin busshi or nankyō busshi 南京仏師, yamashinadera busshi 山階寺仏師, otera busshi 御寺仏師…

A dance piece in *bugaku 舞楽 and the mask *…

A type of wooden sculpture characterized by round chisel nata 鉈 marks that are left on the surface. Natabori…

Also juzu 数珠, 誦数. A string of beads or a rosary, used for Buddhist prayer and invocation. Particularly associated…

Also gyōdō 行道, gōshō-e 迎接会, raigō-e 来迎会. A Buddhist ceremony brought to Japan from the…

A modelling material resembling *kokuso-urushi 木屎漆 but harder in…

A dance piece in *bugaku 舞楽 performed right after *…

A statue or painting depicting the Buddhas *Shaka 釈迦 and Tahō 多宝…

Also nijū enkōhai 二重円光背, nijū ensō二重円相. Lit. "double round halo." A type of halo *…

Also muken chōsō 無見頂相, chōkeisō 頂髻相, *ushitsunisha…

From the late Heian period a small circle carved at the front part of the base of the *nikkei…

Noh mask *nōmen 能面 made for the role of the ghost of the broken-hearted…

Also written 上り髭, Lit. "climbing beard." The name of a mask used in kyōgen 狂言 plays. Noborihige has the…

Also 納衣, shinnōe 刺納衣 or 刺衲衣, nōgesa 衲袈裟, nō 衲.

1　A Buddhist priest's…

Masks used in the *Noh 能 theater and worn by the main actor shite シテ, and his…

Also nōsashō hōju 能作性宝珠, mani hōju 摩尼宝珠. A sacred jewel, said to remove suffering, and capable of granting…

An implement carried by Buddhist priests at a ceremony or during formal preaching. It has a slightly curved handle about 30-…

Lit. "standing tree Buddha." A Buddhist image carved on a living tree or on wood that retains the form of the original tree…

Graver. A sharp, pointed steel tool used in metalwork and stone carving. Used for engraving, carving, and chiselling,…

Old Persian man taikofu 太孤父 and young Persian boy taikoji 太孤児, two types of gigaku masks *…

A small Buddhist image that is placed inside a larger one as an offering. In most cases, older images were placed inside…

"Running in retreat," a *bugaku 舞楽 dance and mask *…

Also takaya bussho 高矢仏所. A guild of Buddhist sculptors active in Nara *…

An image that has more heads, eyes, or limbs than the human figure.

Also *tamen kōhi 多面広臂. A Buddhist image with more heads, eyes, or limbs than…

A single topknot. Hair tied on top of the head in a simple round topknot *hōkei…

Also tekō, yubitsugai 指番. A protective piece of leather or metal used to protect the back of a soldier's…

Also *shō 摂. Clay statue. An old term used in the Nara period to…

Lit. "mudra for turning the Dharma-wheel." A mudra or hand gesture *in 印…

Also tenchigen. A facial expression found on *Fudō Myōō 不動明王, where the right…

Lit. "heavenly youth," also warabemai 童舞 (dancing child). A dance mask representing a young boy with parted hair…

1　Also sangai 傘蓋, hōgai 宝蓋, kagai 華蓋, kengai 懸蓋. Sk: chatra…

Lit. "heaven people."

1　The heavenly gods as opposed to the gods of earth, chigi 地祇.
…

Also hōkandai 宝冠台. A decorative band around the head found on *bosatsu…

Also tenne 纏衣. A long, narrow strip of ornamental cloth, found on images of *…

A Buddhist statue made of cast iron. Cast iron statues were not as common in Japan as bronze (see *…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 of the *…

Gilding. A decorative technique used in metalwork, where an object was coated with a thin layer of gold. In Japan, this…

A pestle with a single sharp blade at each end, found as an attribute *jimotsu…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing an old, plebeian man used only…

Powdered burnt clay or pulverized whetstone. Used for polishing swords and coloring wood. Tonoko was mixed with…

A style of sculpture represented by the work of the 7th-century sculptor known as Tori busshi 止利仏師. Tori was believed to be…

Lit. "life-size." A standard unit of measurement for Buddhist statues *hōryō…

Decoration found on the head of a Buddhist sculpted figure. This includes hairstyles *…

A cylindrical seat or round pedestal *daiza 台座 for a Buddhist image. Many images…

Also written 津波井仏所. A guild of Buddhist sculptors *busshi 仏師 active in Nara *…

Also 通圓. A mask of an old man, used in the kyōgen 狂言 play Tsūen (The Tea Priest, Tsūen…

An abbreviation of tsūryō kenpō 通両肩法. A style of wearing a Buddhist robe covering both shoulders. The robe…

Dangling chin, a gimmick used on some bugaku masks *bugakumen…

A Noh mask *nōmen 能面 representing the God of Thunder. Great…

Enclosed inner mold. The *nakago 中型 was a term used in metal…