NARA NATIONAL MUSEUM
Nara National Museum is nestled in a leafy corner of Nara Park near Tōdaiji Temple, Kōfukuji Temple, Kasuga Shrine and other ancient temples and shrines.
One can expect a great experience in a relaxing atmosphere, coming into contact with exquisite Buddhist art contextualized historically and culturally.
We hope that you enjoy your visit.
Main works (stored items)
Bhaiṣajya-guru
This statue had been enshrined as a manifestation of the prime noumenon in Nyakuō-ji shrine in Higashiyama, Kyoto, until the government announced the separation of Shintoism and Buddhism in the first year of the Meiji period (1868). The whole body with the exception of the arms and the lotus seat were carved from a single piece of kaya (Japanese nutmeg) wood. The inside of the statue is not carved out. The body and the clothes are colored in yellowish white—the special coloring to emphasize the meaning of sandalwood statue. The shape of the head which stands out in the center, thick eye-lids which cast a shadow over the face, the ups and downs of the body lines, and sharply carved drapes of the costume reflect the typical one-piece carving style of the early Heian period.
