The Thousand-Armed Kannon

The Thousand-Armed Kannon at Toshodaiji in Nara dates to the eighth century and is one of only three such figures in Japan. Despite the name, the statue has 953 arms: 42 large and 911 small, each set of 40 additional arms representing 25 Buddhist worlds for a total of one thousand. Made using dry lacquer, a technique that disappeared in the following Heian period, it is believed to be Japan's oldest wooden statue. The figure stands alongside the Rushana Buddha in the main hall, depicted with a relaxed posture and an expression associated with active compassion. In Buddhist interpretation, Kannon perceives suffering that ordinary beings cannot, and acts on that perception.