158 - JAPAN - MUROMACHI PERIOD (1333–1573)

JAPAN - MUROMACHI PERIOD (1333–1573) Wooden statuette of Prince Shōtoku Taishi (574–622) standing, depicted at age sixteen, dressed in his court robes, with his hands raised—originally holding an incense burner—and his long hair tied to the side. The eyes are inlaid with glass. Height: 57 cm (Restored hands with minor damage; removable head) As Prince Regent to Empress Suiko, Shōtoku Taishi is one of the major figures in the history of Japanese Buddhism. Tradition attributes to him a key role in the establishment of Buddhism in Japan in the early 7th century, as well as the founding or patronage of several temples, notably Hōryū-ji near Nara. After his death, he became the subject of a major cult (Taishi shinkō) and was gradually elevated to the status of a protective figure of Buddhism. His iconography, which developed particularly during the Heian period, depicts him at various stages of his life: a two-year-old child (Nisai Taishi), a teenager praying for his father’s recovery (Kōyō Taishi), or an adult dressed in court attire and holding a ceremonial tablet (shaku).