[fandango1404]

Dear Sirs,

Encouraged by some friends from my Buddhist forum, who indicated me you might be able to tell me more, or otherwise might refer me to someone who could, I take the freedom to ask you if you could help me identifying a statue which is in my family for more than 100 years: I would love to find from which temple that statue comes from !

As I am now retired in Spain (I’m French) and have time, I wanted to know more about that statue and posted some messages on a few Buddhist forums, Japanese universities and museums, and received a few interesting answers which allow me to describe it as below:

Description: A near life size hollow sculpture (hollow joined block technique) of what seems a statue of a Honen like figure, may be the man himself, wearing Tendai Rosary and Kujo-kesa.
Seated figure made out of wood.
Height: 90 cm
Width: 100 cm
Depth: 70 cm
Both hollowed body and head (thin walls).
Lacquered (amber) colored head; Transparent lens-shaped crystals eyes ( black pupils on brown iris)
The statue contains about 1500 calligraphies (parchments in form of lotus leaves = 10 cm X 5 cm )
The back of the head of the statue contains the inscription "Namu Amida Butsu", which points to a Japanese Pure Land related figure.(written on the back of the head and neck: Namu amida butsu down the centre, to the left of it the two characters are Jiun, and the two characters on the right may well be Onko. So this could point to Jiun Sonja or sonsha (onko - 1718-1804).
The figure appears strong in countenance and resolution, and supposed to be from the Edo period. All details and photos : http://picasaweb.google.com/valflor
Studying the lotus leaves it seems to be various dedications.
1. For the ancestors
2. out of piety
The language is antic Japanese (hentai kanbun). Names of believers are included as their monk's names, at times accompanied by their lay-names, explicitly mentioned. Both female and male believers have participated, leaves with three members of the same family are included as well.
A few leaves seems to refer clearly to the monk Jiun shonin:
十七 回 忌 = For the 17th anniversary of his death
慈云 上人 志 = in memory of Jiun Jonin

It seems obvious that this could be the Jiun Jonin abbot of the temple from which the statue comes and who died in 1782 (1799-17), as the date of dedication ceremony seems to be 1799 considering :
1) The leaf at the top left of the sheet 8 - Package 5 is the only one to give a complete date of death: (P5F8)
https: / /picasaweb.google.com/valflor/Paquet5 # 5433191800092121714
寛 政 十一 未 年 三月 二 日, the 2nd day of 3rd month hitsuji the eleventh year of the Kansei era which is the year 1799;
Like other death dates indicate the day and month, it is probable that this addition indicates the year of writing of the leaves.

2) The sheet 14b of the package 6 gives a date truncated but we can reconstruct it
(P6 / F14b)
https://picasaweb.google.com/valflor/Paquet6#5433191068150759218

四十二戈寅年男
戈 seems wrong for 戊
The sentence would then mean "a man of the year tsuchinoe-tora, 42 years"
The year tsuchinoe-tora is the eighth year of the era Hôreki (1758);
1758+42-1 = 1799 ( which is the same result than above)
With all my thanks if you could help me, Very sincerely yours
Patrick Reme
All details and photos : http://picasaweb.google.com/valflor

[Gillou]

Si tu es français, tu as peut-être remarqué que sur ce forum on écrit dans la langue de Molière?