Bosatsu Hanka Zou (菩薩半跏像)

This statue is a replica of the Japanese national treasure, Bosatsu Hanka Zou. The statue is in the nunnery built by Prince Shōtoku, a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period (lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645)) in Japan who served under Empress Suiko

The Bosatsu hanka statue depicts Bodhisattva sitting in the half-lotus position. The statue represents its contemplation of the way of saving people as he practices methods of enlightenment. Its exquisitely beautiful smile is considered one of the three great smiles in the art world, along with the Great Sphinx of Giza and the Mona Lisa

The coloring is done by Chihiro Takamura, one of the leading practitioners of Buddhist statue painting.

About Chihiro Takamura: Born in Tokyo in 1962, she entered Joshibi University of Art and Design (majoring in oil-painting) after high school graduation. In 1987, she was taken in as a student by Fuzan Hirano, a master of colored woodcraft. For the next 20 years, she devoted herself to her craft and began painting wooden statues based in Buddhist imagery and Japanese classics. More recently, she independently established the Chihiro Takamura Painting Institute. Her diverse creative talent ranges from familiar imagery to works of profound artistic merit. In examining the works of Chihiro Takamura, it is worth noting that up until the Edo Period it was normal to apply color to Buddhist statues, but this changed during the Meiji Period when the formalistic ideas of Western Sculpture became pervasive and the coloring of Buddhist statues stopped. In contrast to such climate of the times, the revival of ancient Japanese colored wood carving was made possible largely due to the efforts of Denchu Hiragushi, a giant of Japanese sculpture world who received the Order of Culture. Denchu left behind many famous works and the color work for these works were mostly taken charge of by the colorist Fuzan Hirano. Chihiro Takamura is a legitimate successor of Fuzan and is the foremost figure in the coloring of Buddhist statues today.

• Size: 320(H)×150(W)×150(D)mm
• Material: camphorwood / 樟
• Made in China
• This product can take up to 10-45 days to ship
• You can choose the option to consecrate this statue (give an eye-opening ceremony) before it is shipped from Japan. If you choose this option, we will bring the statue to a Japanese temple, and pay them the necessary fees so that your statue is properly consecrated. The temple will issue a certificate of proof with your name on it, which will also be shipped together with your statue
• Shipped globally from Japan by using DHL. DHL is the world-class shipping services provider who makes international delivery a fast, smooth, and hassle-free experience. Delivery time can be faster than when shopping at an e-commerce website in your country, and of course your package will be covered by insurance. You can check the shipping cost for your entire order before you make a purchase