Statue - Wood - Buddha - Large very rare wooden statue of Nyoirin Kan’non - Japan - 16th - 17th century

Very old and rare 4-armed lacquered wooden statue of Nyoirin Kan'non (the Omnipotent one) - Japan - ca. 1600. Very hard to come by! Nyoirin wears a crown, sits on a lotus and holds with the left hands the eight-spoked Dharma wheel and the Lotus Bud, Lotus Petal. The wheel symbolizes the teachings of Buddhism and the eight-fold path. It represents the vow to save those in the heavenly Deva realm. The Lotus Petal represents the vow to save those in the human realm. The right hand is holding a beautiful rosary which represents the vow to save those in the animal realm. The other right hand is touching the cheek representing the vow to save beings in hell. The right knee is raised, the other folded in front of the body. Nyoirin appears in numerous esoteric texts, including the Hodaraku Kaie Ki, translated into Chinese by Amoghavajra (705–774) .