Juichimen Kannon

Kanzeon-ji, Dazaifu

Juichimen (Eleven-headed) Kannon stands with right arm lowered, palm outwards. His left hand holds a lotus bud and vase. A date equivalent to 1069 is inscribed on the back of his left shoulder. This enormous statue, 16 1/2 feet tall, was cut from a single block of Japanese cypress. The treatment of the right arm is awkward, but otherwise the statue presents a calm and gentle appearance.