EDO PERIOD (17TH-18TH CENTURY)

This sculpture of Ryutoki, together with a second demon-form sculpture known as Tentoki, was concieved as a stand for a lantern to illuminate a sculpture of the Buddha inside a temple. Traces of a plugged hole on his crown indicate that this figure would have originally had a lantern balanced on the top of his head. The squarely planted feet, joined hands, and facial expression of stern concentration with eyes looking up at the now-missing lantern, all bear a close resemblance to the Ryutoki in the collection of Kofukuji temple in Nara, a National Treasure. The Kofukuji example was carved in 1215 by the sculptor Koben, son of Unkei (d. 1223).

For the example in Kofukuji temple, see Miyake Hisao, ed., Kamakura jidai no chokoku (Kamakura period sculpture), Nihon no bijutsu 459 (Tokyo Shibundo, 2004), pl. 20.