Photo/Illutration The Shaka Triad statue in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple — reproduced from “Horyuji: Wall Paintings and the Golden Hall,” edited by The Asahi Shimbun Co. (1968)

A fragment believed to be part of a lotus petal from the pedestal of the seventh-century statue at Horyuji temple has surfaced in a private art collection, potentially shedding new light on one of Japan’s most revered Buddhist sculptures.

The Odawara Art Foundation announced on Oct. 3 that the piece—known as a “renben”—was discovered among its holdings and may have adorned the base of one of the flanking Bodhisattva figures called "Wakiji Bosatsu Ritzuzo" in the Shaka Triad statue. 

The national treasure, officially called the Shaka Sanzon-zo, is housed in Horyuji temple's Golden Hall in Nara Prefecture.

The Shaka Triad was completed in 623 by sculptor Kuratsukuri-no-Tori, also known as Tori Busshi, to honor Prince Shotoku Taishi during the Asuka Period (592-710).

The work consists of the seated Shaka Nyorai Buddha flanked by two standing Bodhisattvas and is considered one of the most important Buddhist statues associated with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan.

The fragment was found in the collection of Hiroshi Sugimoto, a contemporary artist and collector of antiques, who founded the Odawara Art Foundation.

It was previously owned by Donno Masuda, a renowned collector, and stored in a box labeled as originating from Horyuji’s Golden Hall.

Upon investigation, experts believe the petal’s shape and material strongly suggest a connection to the Shaka Triad, and that the piece may have belonged to the pedestal of one of the Bodhisattvas. 

Unlike the existing lotus petals on the statue, which are made from copper plates, the discovered fragment was cast in copper—matching the technique used for the statue itself.

“Based on the shape and other characteristics, it is highly likely that this lotus petal was part of the pedestal of one of the flanking Bodhisattva statues," said Kazuharu Asai, former director of the Horyuji treasures room at the Tokyo National Museum.

Asai, who led the investigation, added, "This discovery will be extremely valuable in understanding how Tori Busshi cast the Shaka Triad in the Golden Hall of Horyuji, including the casting techniques and structural design.”

The lotus petal will be publicly exhibited starting Oct. 4 at the Ebara Hatakeyama Museum of Art in Tokyo, as part of the exhibition: “The Contemporary ‘Sukisha’―Sokuo and Hiroshi Sugimoto, Tradition and Creation.”

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