Every year, the Tsumugu Project — a joint effort between Japan’s Cultural Affairs Agency, Imperial Household Agency and national daily The Yomiuri Shimbun (Tokyo) to help restore, preserve and promote the nation’s artistic treasures and traditional culture — uses a part of the proceeds from art exhibitions it supports to help repair a certain number of cultural assets in need of urgent conservation.

For fiscal 2025 (financial year starting on April 1, 2025), the project has selected seven assets (comprising two designated national treasures and five designated important cultural properties of Japan) to help restore, including the “Standing Eight Youth Attendants (Kumara) of Fudo Myo’o (Acala Vidyaraja)” of Kongobu-ji temple in Wakayama Prefecture and the “Seated Statue of Fudo Myo’o” of Hoju-ji temple in Ishikawa Prefecture, the latter being the first entry from an area struck by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

7 assets TSUMUGU Project will help repair in FY2025:

– National treasure: Standing Eight Youth Attendants (Kumara) of Fudo Myo’o (Acala Vidyaraja) with Seated Statue of Fudo Myo’o (Important cultural property) — Kongobu-ji temple, Wakayama Prefecture

– National treasure: Standing Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha) — Daiho’on-ji temple, Kyoto Prefecture

– Important cultural property: Hashira-e Pillar Paintings of Ishiyama-dera’s Tahoto Pagoda — Ishiyama-dera temple, Shiga Prefecture

– Important cultural property: Seated Statue of Nyoirin Kannon (Cintamani-cakra Avalokitesvara) — Byodo-ji temple, Kyoto Prefecture

– Important cultural property: Shaka (Sakyamuni) Triad — Rinsen-ji temple, Aichi Prefecture

– Important cultural property: Seated Statue of Fudo Myo’o (Acala Vidyaraja) — Hoju-ji temple, Ishikawa Prefecture

– Important cultural property: Painting of Rantei Kyokusui (The Meandering Stream of the Orchid Pavilion) — Zuishin-in temple, Kyoto Prefecture

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— National Treasure —

Standing Eight Youth Attendants of Fudo Myo’o with Seated Statue of Fudo Myo’o (top photo)
(Kongobu-ji temple, Wakayama Pref.)

*The “Seated Statue of Fudo Myo’o,” an integral part of Kongobu-ji’s asset, is a designated important cultural property

Unkei’s sculptural mastery on full display

The “Seated Statue of Fudo Myo’o (Acala Vidyaraja; Immovable Wisdom King)” and his Eight Youth Attendants were passed down in Kongobu-ji’s Fudo Hall, which was built in the Isshin-in-dani area of Mt. Koya in 1197. It was around that time the Eight Youth Attendants were made by the great master of Buddhist sculpture Unkei, who was active in the late Heian (8th-12th century) and early Kamakura (12th-14th century) periods.

Of the eight attendants, six (Edo Doji, Eki Doji, Ugubaga Doji, Shojobiku Doji, Kongara Doji and Seitaka Doji) have been identified as original works of Unkei — each of which is about 100 centimeters tall and made using the ichiboku (single woodblock) zukuri or yosegi (joined woodblock) zukuri carving techniques — and designated as national treasures. Unkei knew how to capture the moment in his work. The faces of these statues are graceful and lively, their bodies vigorous and elastic. Experts say his sculptural mastery is on full display here. The two other attendants — Shitoku Doji and Anokuta Doji — were made likely added to the group during the Nanbokucho period (14th century) by someone else, and are treated as items accompanying Unkei’s works.

The six statues were made when Unkei’s artistic maturity reached its heights, making them very popular in art exhibitions held today. However, like all other ancient works of art, the statues are susceptible to damage, requiring repairs every now and then. Fully aware that random repairs can cause an imbalance detrimental to the statues, conservators decided it was time for a full overhaul of them all, including the two additions.

Exquisite sculpture from the mid-12th century

The “Seated Statue of Fudo Myo’o” (a designated important cultural property) was also included in the list of items to be repaired. About 87 centimeters tall, the statue is made of Japanese cypress using the warihagi (split-and-hollow) zukuri carving technique. Delicate and elegant in style, it was likely made by a top-tier Buddhist sculptor in the mid-12th century, before the Fudo Hall was built, during the time of cloistered rule. Presently, the surface of the statue is lifting off in pieces and requires treatment to prevent further peeling. Conservation of the Fudo Myo’o and Eight Youth Attendants is expected to take three years.

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— National Treasure —

Standing Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha)
(Daiho’on-ji temple, Kyoto Pref.)

Likely made by Kei-school sculptors
using ichiboku wari-hagi technique

The “Standing Jizo Bosatsu (Ksitigarbha)” of Daiho’on-ji temple in Kyoto is about 163 centimeters tall and made of Japanese torreya or some other conifer wood. It was made using the ichiboku (single woodblock) wari-hagi (split-and-hollow) zukuri technique, which involves carving a single woodblock to a certain extent before splitting it in half with a chisel, and then hollowing the halves before putting them back together in one piece.

Kei-school sculptors such as Unkei and Kaikei became active in Nara and Kamakura during the Kamakura period (12th-14th century), which is said to have resulted in the relative decline of production of Buddhist sculptures in Kyoto. However, the Jizo Bosatsu is said to resemble the “Roku Kannon Bosatsu (Six manifestations of Avalokitesvara)” of Daiho’on-ji in style. As the “Roku Kannon Bosatsu,” a designated important cultural property, is known to have been made by Kei-school sculptors, experts are prone to think the Jizo Bosatsu, too, was made by them around the same time.

The Jizo Bosatsu had long been placed in a sanctum called Kitano Kyo’o-do near Daiho’on-ji along with the “Roku Kannon Bosatsu.” As such, the Jizo Bosatsu was designated as a national treasure of Japan in tandem with the “Roku Kannon Bosatsu” in 2024. It has been appraised as the epitome of Buddhist sculptures from the mid-Kamakura period in Kyoto.

The Jizo Bosatsu, however, has long been covered in dust, and suffers from the flaking of the pigments layer and insect damages, thereby requiring urgent treatment. Conservation is scheduled to be completed by the end of fiscal 2025.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun and other sources)