Lotus Temple Carving

Exceptional architectural element from a Japanese Buddhist temple, late Edo or Meiji Period. Such elements were used to ornament the end of beams in the Kondo (“golden hall”), the main place of worship in a Buddhist temple complex. Carved from keyaki wood, with floral elements, including the sacred lotus flower. The mysterious inscription on the base invites your translation!

What are we doing with a piece of a Buddhist temple, you may ask? Japan is home to some of the world’s oldest wooden buildings. However, wood has a finite life, and buildings, including temples, are commonly rebuilt, and elements discarded or recycled. This carving can be displayed as pictured, or hung jutting outward, as originally intended.