The Jizō is constructed of
hinoki, assembled in multiple joining blocks, or
yosegi zukuri. The interior is hollow, which allows for the insertion of
rock crystal eyes. He is depicted as youthful and innocent, head shaved, and long earlobes symbolizing enlightenment, wearing a
kasaya, decorated with
kirikane and partial
polychromy, yielding a
khakkhara. The left hand yields a jewel of wisdom, which grants wishes.
Inpa style of sculptures tend to utilize elegant, gentle features, as shown with the flow of the robes as well as soft expressions, which was in line of the preferred style of the
Heian court. And as such the sculpture was made in a time where welcoming deities became popular at the end of the 13th century, to which Jizō became a popular bodhisattva to worship. At the foot of the statue, in the connecting joint to the lotus pedestal, a written description on the joint has the signature, the date of the sculptor, as well as the commissioning monks "Kyōganbō Daisōzu Rin'ei" and "Jitsu’ei Enshunbō". Intan's name written as "院湛" utilizes the nomenclature of the
Inpa school, as well as that of the sculptor
Tankei (湛慶), son of
Unkei of the Kei school, which indicates that Intan wanted to name himself as a user of both
Inpa and
Keiha styles. In a press release by the MET, the Jizō was hailed as a richly documented piece that strengthens the museum's holdings of Japanese art. == References ==