Fanciful creatures such as this often decorate the roofs of temples. This example, made of tile in the mid-seventeenth century, was found in the town of Hongo in the Aizu region.
According to the eighth-century chronicle Nihon shoki, Buddhism was introduced to Japan in 584, when the king of the Korean kingdom of Paekche sent Buddhist images and texts to the emperor's court. Two images were given to the powerful minister Soga no Umako (d. 626). Umako built a chapel at his home to house them, and delegated their care to three women he designated as nuns. When Umako fell ill the next year, the oracle he consulted declared that the disease was a curse sent by the Buddha. At the monarch's suggestion, Umako prayed to the image, asking it to lift the curse and to prolong his life--a petition that was evidently granted.
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Fanciful creatures such as this often decorate the roofs of temples. This example, made of tile in the mid-seventeenth century, was found in the town of Hongo in the Aizu region. |
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