Kotoku-in by WvH

About "Kotoku-in"

by WvH

About the artwork

K?toku-in is a Buddhist temple of the J?do-sh? sect in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.

The temple is renowned for its "Great Buddha" (Daibutsu), a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amida Buddha which is one of the most famous icons of Japan.

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a monumental outdoor bronze statue of Amit?bha Buddha located at the K?toku-in Temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The bronze statue probably dates from 1252, in the Kamakura period, according to temple records. It was preceded by a giant wooden Buddha, which was completed in 1243 after ten years of continuous labor, the funds having been raised by Lady Inada (Inada-no-Tsubone) and the Buddhist priest J?k? of T?t?mi. That wooden statue was damaged by a storm in 1248, and the hall containing it was destroyed, so J?k? suggested making another statue of bronze, and the huge amount of money necessary for this and for a new hall was raised for the project. The bronze image was probably cast by ?no Gor?emon or Tanji Hisatomo, both leading casters of the time. At one time, the statue was gilded. There are still traces of gold leaf near the statue's ears.

The hall was destroyed by a storm in 1334, was rebuilt, and was damaged by yet another storm in 1369, and was rebuilt yet again. The last building housing the statue was washed away in the tsunami of September 20, 1498, during the Muromachi period. Since then, the Great Buddha has stood in the open air.

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