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Lot Essay
Although this sacred image is deprived of most of its polychrome, this lack in fact enhances its aesthetic beauty. It shows the fine-grained structure of the cypress wood of which it is made. His face displays a sublime inner calm, fed by a deep spiritual feeling. Unfortunately, his attributes are missing which makes it difficult to ascertain its correct iconographic identity. The posture of the right hand suggests that it once held a diamond-sceptre. His left hand seems to have supported an attribute, though unlikely the priest-bell to be able to identify him as Vajrasattva or Kongosatta-bosatsu. If his hands originally held a sword and the ‘wish-jewel’, he could represent Jizo-bosatsu. Originally the image would have been decorated with a gilt-metal crown and necklace to emphasize his spiritual sovereignty.