Parinirvana (detail)

Five-Story Pagoda, Horyuji Temple
Ikaruga, Japan

Four tableaux, of painted statuettes made of unbaked clay, are displayed in alcoves on the walls of the pagoda. They depict the Paradise of Maitreya (S), the Division of Relics (W), the Colloquy between Manjusri and Vimalakirti (E), and the Death of the Buddha (N). A detail from the Parinirvana is shown here. His disciples observe the death of the Buddha, some calmly and others with unrestrained emotion, according to their individual natures and spiritual development along the Path.

The small statues are constructed over wooden armatures that are wrapped with straw and then covered with multiple layers of coarse and fine clay. They are endowed with a remarkable naturalism, as seen in this photo.