Prior to looking at the label, I perceived this to be a cast bronze work. I was astounded to discover that it was not in fact bronze, but rather wood. The attention to detail combined with the luxurious, buttery smoothness achieved by the artist is like no other that I have seen in other culture’s wood works. Prior to reading the label, I suspected this sculpture to a part of Japan’s Buddhist history. The figure is decorated with typical Buddhist attributes, such as many arms, bracelets, the urna, and a mudra. The Bosatsu (also known as a Bodhisattva, or Buddha to be) sits upright in a meditative position of dhyanasana against an elaborate mandorla. The mandorla is made of three circles with cut-outs and decorative spikes that jut out in all directions. Underneath the Bosatsu is a giant stepped lotus flower base, which rests on a larger, more ambiguous base. Upon first look, this base may just be a glorified rock, but upon closer inspection from the …show more content…
Throughout a piece, thickness of the wood can vary. On some sections of the body, the wood may only be a few centimeters thicks, whereas with, for example, pleats, are slightly thicker. This technique yielded rapid production. Instead of using one solid piece of wood, the artist (or artists) would sculpt parts of the image at the workshop, and not worry about assembling it. Assembly would be completed on site, with the help of assistants. After the parts were assembled, detailed carving began. This method also required less material, and probably therefore, less cost. A statue three meters high created with this technique used roughly three times the volume of materials as a single-woodblock piece. Subsequently, a yosegi zukuri piece was also much