Guardian king of the North, Bishamonten, crushes a demon at his feet; he is bearing his two main attributes: the stupa and the spear.
At first Bishamonten was associated with the Hinduist deity Vaisravana, one of the manifestations of the deity Kubera, god of riches and king-god of the semi-divine Yakshas in Hindu mythology. In Japan he became one of the Four Heavenly Kings (Shitennô), deities of the horizons, and protector god of the Buddhist Law, while the popular shinto also considers him to be one of the three kamis of war (san senjen).
The main body is made of one piece of wood split in two parts, front and back, and emptied inside , then cut level with the neck. With angry eyes, closed mouth, dressed in a vest with drooping sleeves and a pair of trousers, donning armour, Bishamonten is represented here with a threatening face, standing, crushing one or several Yakshas (demons). In one hand he is wielding a spear and in the other a stupa (pagoda of the divine treasure of Buddha’s teaching). The statue is set upon a rock-shaped base and a demon, both original and in good condition.
