Buddha with Two Attendants

This triad of figures depicts a Buddha flanked by two Bodhisattva attendants. A halo in the shape of a lotus rises behind all three, which was typical of Buddhist sculptures in the Asuka period. The carved lines delineating the Buddha’s eyebrows, however, are not a feature of Japanese sculpture, and the casting, which resulted in many air pockets in the metal, also suggests that this work was created during the Three Kingdoms period in Korea. The plump, round face of the Buddha and the vines on the halo are features found in the Buddhist sculptures of the Baekje kingdom, which flourished on the Korean peninsula.

Records show that Buddhism was officially introduced into Japan by King Seong of Baekje either in 538 or 552. This work may have been created in Baekje around this time, and reveals the appearance of some of the first Buddhist sculptures to have been brought into Japan. A large halo with lotuses rises behind this Buddha triad. Zenkōji, a prominent temple in Nagano Prefecture, preserves a similar triad to this that was purportedly brought from Baekje Kingdom on the Korean Peninsula. Buddha triads of this type were likely worshiped widely in Japan around the time when Buddhism entered the country.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.