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Paper short abstract

The paper examines nōnyūhin—objects concealed inside Buddhist statues, a practice derived from the ritual dedication of relics—as vehicles of esoteric thought in medieval Japan, focusing on Unkei’s statuary and his engagement with teachings propagated by Chōgen at the end of the twelfth century.

Paper long abstract

The religious practice of inserting objects inside Buddhist statues has been known in Japan since the eighth century, but it became a widespread ritual during the medieval period. The greatest number of surviving examples date from the end of the Heian period (the latter half of the twelfth century) through the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

The act of dedicating objects to the image of a deity responded to logics of efficacy and karmic retribution: the statue was simultaneously “animated” and “empowered” to perform miracles and grant the wishes of donors. Although the original function of this tradition was tied to the dedication and enshrinement of Buddhist relics within statues, a significant role in its development was played by the esoteric doctrines of the Tendai and Shingon lineages. These doctrines spread throughout Japan from the ninth and tenth centuries and consolidated their position as prominent religious currents during the medieval period.

The practice of depositing objects inside statues (in Japanese butsuzō tainai nōnyūhin; hereafter nōnyūhin) was instrumental in the propagation of esoteric thought. Before the eleventh century, nōnyūhin included relics and sutras as well as everyday objects such as dice, combs, and seashells. Beginning in the Kamakura period, the nōnyūhin practice underwent a process of systematization and codification.

This transformation is particularly evident in the statuary tradition of the master sculptor Unkei (1151–1224) and in the works produced by the Kei (Kei-ha) sculptural workshop. Unkei made extensive use of esoteric symbolism, most notably the gorintō, or five-ringed pagoda, and the gachirin, or lunar disk placed upon the lotus flower.

My contribution to this panel aims to explain the symbolism of Unkei’s statues and their nōnyūhin, which are here understood as the result of a centuries-long transmission of religious knowledge, mediated in part through Unkei’s contact with the Japanese monk Chōgen (1121–1206). The nōnyūhin found within Unkei’s images reflect the religious thought of his time, as well as the teachings that circulated within Chōgen’s community of disciples.