page_title: Shin-Yakushi-ji
section_title: Twelve Heavenly Generals
hierarchical_section_title: Shin-Yakushi-ji / Treasures / Twelve Heavenly Generals
caption_attribution_description: English: Upper Part of Antera: One of Tweleve Heavenly Guardians Statues. Clay, Total 155 cm height, 8th century, Nata Period, Shin_Yakushi-ji, Nara, Japan日本語: 安底羅, 十二神将像の一, 塑像, 総高155cm, 奈良時代、新薬師寺、奈良
context_page_description: Shin-Yakushi-ji is a Buddhist temple of the Kegon sect in Nara, Japan. It was founded in 747 by Empress Kōmyō. Initially a large complete Shichidō garan temple, it suffered from fire damage and deteriorated during the Heian period. The temple was revived during the Kamakura period. Only one building, the present main hall or Hon-dō, has survived from the 8th century. All other structures date to the Kamakura period.
  Shin-Yakushi-ji owns several cultural assets. The Hon-dō, the principal image of Yakushi Nyorai and eleven statues of the Twelve Heavenly Generals have been designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the government of Japan as National Treasures.
context_section_description: The Nara period, roughly life-size standing group of Twelve Heavenly Generals from 729–749 is the oldest extant in Japan. It was made of unbaked clay and originally colored. The skin was salmon color. Beards were drawn with ink, cloths and armour painted in bright colors and gold foil applied in places. Not much of the original decoration remains. The statue of Haira was damaged in an earthquake at the end of the Edo period and replaced by a wooden statue in 1931. As protective deities of Yakushi all twelve generals are placed in a circle surrounding the main image of Yakushi Nyorai. Eleven of the twelve statues have been designated as National Treasure. The image of Haira from the 20th century is excluded from the nomination. There are two different mappings of names to individual statues in place. In the following the first name is the one used by the temple. The second name, in parentheses, is as assigned in the National Treasure nomination.
  The twelve statues in counter-clockwise order starting at the front right (south east) are:
  Bazara (Meikira): 162.9 cm, with hair standing on ends and an open mouth as if crying out. He holds a sword in his right hand.
  Anira (Anira): 154.2 cm, wearing a helmet and holding an arrow with both hands. He scrutinizes the nock of the arrow. As a whole he appears rather plump compared to other statues like the one of Meikira.
  Haira (Kubira): 159.5 cm. The original clay statue was damaged in an earthquake at the end of the Edo period. The present statue is wooden and dates to 1931. It is not a National Treasure. Haira is depicted wearing a helmet, holding a bow and arrow.
  Bigyara (Bigyara): 162.1 cm, brandishing a pestle with three prongs at each end (三鈷杵 sankosho), a type of vajra, in his raised right arm. His left hand rests on his waist. Some color is visible on the back of his armour.
  Makora (Makora): 170.1 cm, carries an axe in his right hand. His left hand rests on his waist. The hakama falls below the knees, covering his shin armour. The area around his neck is covered by a cloth.
  Kubira (Shōtora): 165.1 cm, has his right elbow raised to shoulder height, carrying a sword in his right hand. The tip of the sword is pointing at his left hand which is formed to a fist. Remains of a flower pattern are found on the skirt like garment (裙 kun), and the gold ground on the armour shows a pattern of small plates.
  Shōtora (Santera): 167.6 cm, his right hand with spread fingers resting on his waist and a sword in his left hand　pointing down. His wild hair standing up is bound together in a topknot. One of his eyes is dark blue the other dark brown.
  Shintara (Shintara): 165.5 cm, holds a sacred gem in his right hand and a staff in his left hand. He is standing on a sandbar shaped dais (洲浜座 suhamaza). The shin armour features a flame pattern painted with ink on gold ground.
  Santera (Antera): 161.8 cm, is leaning on a trident with his right arm. His head is slightly turned to the left and his left hand rests on his waist. There is a shigami (獅噛) ornament of a biting lion on his shoulder armour. The posture is similar to that of Indara.
  Meikira (Indara): 159.5 cm, with his right hand resting on his waist and the left arm raised high with the palm turned outward. His left leg is bend. He is standing on a sandbar shaped dais (洲浜座 suhamaza).
  Antera (Bazara): 153.6 cm, wears a helmet with small curved panels on  the left and right sides of the rim. He is carrying a fly swatter (hossu) in both hands in front of his left shoulder.  His facial expression is peaceful.
  Indara (Haira): 155.2 cm, wears a helmet with two curved panels on the left and right sides of the rim and a visor. He carries a trident in his right hand while the left hand rests on his waist. The posture is similar to that of Santera.
caption: Antera
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