Wed, Dec 13, 2023
Conservation work of the wooden seated statue of Yakushi Nyorai (Healing Buddha) — a designated national treasure housed at the Shinyakushi-ji temple in Nara city — is underway under the auspices of the Tsumugu Project, a joint endeavor between the public sector (Cultural Affairs Agency and Imperial Household Agency) and the private sector (The Yomiuri Shimbun and sponsor companies) to help preserve Japan’s artistic treasures.
Shinyakushi-ji’s seated Yakushi Nyorai was carved from a single block of Japanese nutmeg wood using the ichiboku-zukuri technique in the early Heian period. The statue last went under conservation in 1903, and its pedestal was repaired in 1953. About 70 years later, the surface of the pedestal is either chipping away or collapsing due to insect damage. Conservators will spend the next two years to mainly repair the pedestal.
The pedestal of the mokakeza (a pedestal designed to look as if the robe donned by the image it supports is spreading over it) type was recently taken apart by conservators for inspection in the main hall of the temple, where the Buddhist statue usually rests. They found that the damages were progressing and the pedestal needed urgent care.
According to Taiki Inoue, a senior cultural properties specialist of the Cultural Affairs Agency who was there at the inspection, the pedestal is susceptible to moisture coming up from the ground, and on that account, severely damaged. The pedestal was then delivered to Nara National Museum’s Conservation Center in October 2023 for repair work.
In order to remove the pedestal from its place, the standing statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals — 11 of which are designated national treasures — encircling the main image had to be moved beforehand. But because the standing statues are made of earth and very fragile, they had to be handled with great care so as not to cause any harm. Each standing statue with its own pedestal was lifted using an air jack, and then was carefully carried over a plastic sheet avoiding any unnecessary contact.
Conservation on the statue of Yakushi Nyorai itself and its halo, which lasted about a month, was conducted in the main hall. According to conservators, the main body was in a much better condition than the pedestal, although some dust had accumulated and discoloration was found in areas formerly repaired. The conservators aptly removed the dust and colored areas where the discoloration was conspicuous.
Conservators also removed the six kebutsu (manifested Buddhas) on the halo to check for damage, wherefore the iron nails used to peg the small Buddhas were found corroded or rusty. They removed the rust and applied resin to the nails to prevent further damage.
Jokan Nakata, 79, the head priest of Shinyakushi-ji, said he was grateful to have the pedestal of the seated Yakushi Nyorai repaired. “It’s a part visitors won’t be able to see after the repair, but it is significant in terms of conserving and passing on the principal image of the temple.”
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun and other sources)
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