Pensive statue - Hankashiizo

A type of posture for Buddhist statues. It is also called "hankashiyuizo." It is a type of seated statue with one leg hanging down and the other leg resting on the knee of the lower leg, which is called a half-seated position (normal seated statues are in a full lotus position), but it is also called this because the right hand is raised to the cheek and the statue is in a contemplative pose. Most half-seated statues have the left leg hanging down, but sometimes the right leg hangs down. This figure is often seen in Maitreya Bodhisattva, and in China it has been seen as the contemplative figure of Prince Siddharta (before Shakyamuni became a monk) since the Six Dynasties period (3rd to 6th centuries), and in Japan, influenced by Buddhist statues from the Three Kingdoms period in Korea, particularly Silla, many Maitreya Bodhisattva figures were created from the Asuka period to the Nara period (7th and 8th centuries). Examples include the two statues at Koryuji Temple in Kyoto, the principal image at Chuguji Temple in Nara (both national treasures), and the gilt bronze Maitreya Bodhisattva statue (Important Cultural Property) at Nonaka Temple in Osaka.

[Akio Sato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏像の姿勢の一種。「はんかしゆいぞう」ともいう。腰を掛けた形の倚像(いぞう)の一つで、片脚を垂下し、もう一方の脚を垂下脚の膝(ひざ)の上にのせた姿を半跏座（普通の坐像(ざぞう)は結跏趺坐(けっかふざ)）と称するが、さらに右手を頬(ほお)のあたりにあげ、思索する形をとっているのでこうよぶ。半跏像の多くは左脚を垂下しているが、右脚を垂下することもある。この姿は弥勒菩薩(みろくぼさつ)に多くみられ、また中国では悉達多(しっだるた)太子（釈尊の出家以前の時代）の思索する姿として六朝(りくちょう)時代（3～6世紀）から多くみられ、日本では、朝鮮の三国時代、とくに新羅(しらぎ)の仏像の影響で、飛鳥(あすか)時代から奈良時代（7、8世紀）にかけて、弥勒菩薩として制作された例が多い。京都・広隆寺の二体、奈良・中宮寺の本尊（以上国宝）、大阪・野中寺(やちゅうじ)の金銅弥勒菩薩像（重文）などはその例である。

［佐藤昭夫］

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