21 Amadai Kannon

The 33 forms of Kannon were formed in Japan during the Edo period (1603-1868 CE), and it is difficult to find their original sources in India. There are many unknowns about where the word “amadai” was transliterated from, the translator of the sutras, and so forth.

It is said that even if a person commits a serious crime, they can be purified if they contemplate and pray to Kannon day and night. The figure is usually depicted with three eyes and four arms, holding a musical instrument, sitting on a rock or riding a lion, but this Doukutsu Kannon stands quietly barefoot on a rock. She wears an elegant celestial raiment the design of which seems to have been overseen by founder Tokuzo Yamada, who was a dry-goods merchant. She also wears a crown, necklace, and bracelets.

Above all, the multiple haloes of light behind Kannon, one of Rakuzan Takahashi’s quintessential touches, are depicted here through an artful silken robe blowing in the wind. The quiet appearance of this Kannon is astonishing to behold, and the material looks unbelievably soft and delicate, despite being stone.