Celestial Musician (Japanese, Hiten; Sanskrit, Apsara)
Japanese
Description
Celestial Musician
Japan
Asuka period (538–710)
ca. 670–700
Polychromed camphor wood on
lacquered wood base
Gift of John J. Schloss, 1999/2.14
This kneeling musician was part of a set of forty-
eight figures installed in the Golden Hall at
Ho ̄ryu ̄-ji, one of the most prominent Buddhist
temples in the Asuka (538–710) and Nara (710–794)
periods. These musicians are hiten, low-ranking
divine figures who were attendants to the
Buddhas. The sculptures were installed on the
canopies that hung over the primary Buddhist
icons enshrined in the hall. This figure holds a
pair of cymbal-like instruments, while others
in the set held flutes or stringed instruments.
Based on other surviving celestial musician
sculptures from Ho ̄ryu ̄-ji, we assume it would
have had a delicately carved wooden body halo
with a lattice-like pattern representing lotus
stalks and blossoms. Its fragile lotus pedestal
is comprised of individually carved petals. The
lacquered double lotus base was added much
later, after the figure was removed from its
original location.
Subject Matter:
This musician statue was once part of a set that adorned the interior of the Golden Hall (Kondô) of Hōryūji Temple. It holds a cymbal-like instrument, alluding to its role as a musician. The lotus flowers indicate that the figure is a Buddhist deity.
Physical Description:
The figure is kneeling musician on lotus seat, made of separately carved petals. Below the seat, there is a base, which consists of two lotus-shaped half-sphere, connected up-side-down. The head has two buns, elongated ears, simplified facial parts; the figure wears a pink robe with wide sleeves, holding a sort of instrument with hands.
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