Idol

Object/Artifact

St. Joseph Museums

Name/Title

Idol

Entry/Object ID

664/16392

Description

Golden seated statue of a Buddha figure. Carved from wood and hand painted. Figure is seated on a multi teired stand and surrounded by a tear drop shaped, decorated background.

Collection

ETHNOGRAPHIC/JAPAN

Made/Created

Place

Continent

Asia

Ethnography

Cultural Region

Country

Japan

Culture/Tribe

Japanese

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Idol

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Symbol, Religious

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Religious Objects

Nomenclature Class

Ceremonial Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects

Material

Wood

Research Notes

Research Type

Researcher

Person

Tori Zieger

Notes

This figure is a Japanese idol of Shaka Nyorai, the term that Japanese Buddhists use to refer to the original, historical Buddha. In this statue, the right hand is uplifted into a gesture known as semui-in, which dispels fear. The right hand is shaped in the gesture known as yogan-n, which symbolizes giving and the granting of the worshippers wishes.