Statue of Bodhisattva Fugen sitting on an elephant

Gilded bronze statue adorned with champlevé enamels (blue, white, green, red, yellow, pink), depicting the Bodhisattva Fugen (Samantabadhra) in women's robes, sitting on the elephant, the animal that accompanies and characterizes him.

The elephant does not correspond to the realistic image of this animal, but is taken from Buddhist mythology. The Bodhisatva Samantabadhra sits on the animal with one leg dangling and the other resting on the first. The Bodhisatva's hair is styled in a very high bun. Over a long wrap-around robe he wears a cloak that covers his shoulders.

The Bodhisatva in facial features bears a strong resemblance to Chinese forms, although a typically Japanese softness. The careful execution of the hairdo and especially the shape of the elephant equally demonstrate the Japanese origin of the object. It cannot be ruled out that the artist saw images of this Bodhisatva in Chinese painting.