9 Seyaku Kannon

This gentle Kannon can be seen placing her right hand on her cheek and faintly smiling. Beyond her gaze, we imagine there to be a lotus flower. She presides over the vital life force, often depicted as water or lotuses, and exerts a healing influence on people’s lives as an all-powerful god of water.

Rakuzan Takahashi’s most emblematic artisan skill is the use of “openwork,” a form of filigree where the ground of a piece is carved open to allow light to pass through. This can be seen in fine detail in the halos used on his Kannon carvings. While this technique is frequently seen in works made of wood or copper, it is very rare to find a stone Kannon with such delicate workmanship. In conjunction with the richness of expression and the overall harmony of balance in the shape and design, these qualities are why Takahashi has been described as a “rare master artisan.”

The Seyaku Kannon’s teaching states that if natural water or moisture on the body is kept clean, one can triumph over any ailment or hardship. This concept is directly applicable to people’s attitudes towards health today.

At the same time, it makes us realize how much of a blessing it is to have clean, pure water, and how we should cherish it.