Statue of Prince Shotoku
Prince Shotoku (574–622), the son of Emperor Yomei, played a central role in the acceptance and establishment of Buddhism after it was brought to Japan from the Asian continent in the mid-sixth century.
This 84.2-centimeter-tall statue of a seated Prince Shotoku in court dress and holding a scepter was carved in 1121. The statue depicts the Prince between the ages of 35 and 46, when he preached a sermon on the Lion’s Roar Sutra to Empress Suiko (554–628).