普賢菩薩 Fugen Bosatsu (The Bodhisattva Samantabhadra riding a white elephant), Nakanoko Tami

Riding on an elephant, bodhisattva Samantabhadra sits in the noble posture (sattvaparyaṅka) with his hands clasped in a gesture of veneration called the añjali mudra. Samantabhadra is a deity in Mahāyāna Buddhism whose name means “universal goodness” in Sanskrit. Worshiped as a protector and teacher, Samantabhadra embodies self-perfection through the mental aspiration to achieve enlightenment.

This sculpture belongs to a regional ceramic tradition dating back to the beginning of the 17th century. Hakata ningyō originated in the Hakata ward of Fukuoka on the Japanese island Kyushu and are typically made from locally sourced white clay. After the first firing, the craftsperson applies undercoats of gofun, a white pigment made from clam and oyster shells, along with natural pigments to create the vivid coloration. Hakata ningyō remains an active folk tradition today, and this image’s sculptor, Nakanoko Tami, was from an established family of Hakata ningyō makers.