Artworks

Shitennō, Kaidanin, Tōdaiji

Artwork · Anonymous · mid 8th century · statue · Tōdai-ji Temple

The Four Guardian Kings (Shitennō) of the ordination hall: clay over a wooden armature, each figure in armour over cloth robes, standing on a subdued demon in a hip-slung pose — Tamonten with a reliquary, Kōmokuten with brush and scroll, Jikokuten with a long sword, Zōchōten with a lance. Made for a small platform where they could be seen close, and individualised as no two figures are alike. 1 Mason 2005, p. 90, fig. 111–114. ↩ Literatur Mason 2005: Penelope E. Mason, History of Japanese Art, 2nd, Pearson Education LTD. 2005.