190103-0011-PP - Guardians of Buddha

Nio (仁王) statue at the main gate of Todai-ji Temple in Nara.

Also known as Kongorikishi (金剛力士), Nio are two guardians of the Buddha placed at the entrance of many Buddhist temples.

This one is the Misshaku Kongo (密迹金剛) or Agyo (阿形) statue.

The wooden statue was made of cypress wood using the joint block technique (寄せ木造り, yosegi zukuri) by Japanese Busshi (仏師, sculptor of Buddha statues) Kaikei (快慶) during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

At over eight meters tall, this Agyo and its companion are the largest pair of wooden Nio in Japan.

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