Learn how Japanese Buddhist heavenly being sculptures (called tenbu or 天部) are assembled! This hand-carved model, part of the Kyoto National Museum’s hands-on learning initiative, features inlaid crystal eyes, inserted from within.

The eyes

Did you know that sculptors began inserting crystal eyes in the late Heian Period (794–1185)?! This process became especially popular during the Kamakura Period (1185–1333).

The model

This carving was modeled after Kamakura-era sculptures located in Kyoto’s Sanjūsangendō Temple. Similar sculptures, the one at the beginning of this video, are in the @metmuseum collection:

Main Image

Fudō Myōō, the Immovable Wisdom King (Achala Vidyaraja), Japanese cypress with lacquer, color, gold, cut gold leaf (kirikane), and inlaid crystal eyes, Kamakura Period, early 13th century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.