nikkei　肉髻

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

Also muken chousou 無見頂相, choukeisou 頂髻相, *ushitsunisha 烏瑟に沙. A hemispherical protuberance found on the heads of *nyorai 如来 and *bosatsu 菩薩 images. One of the 32 characterstics *sanjuunisou 三十二相 attributed to the historical Buddha *Shaka 釈迦. The nikkei, together with the *byakugou 白毫 (shining forehead hair) is said to represent the elevated spiritual state, or superhuman condition of Buddha. It was first seen on Gandharan sculpture of the 1c, and some scholars believe it is derived from the wearing of a turban or crown. Examples include the central figure of the Shaka sanzonzou 釈迦三尊像 (bronze, late 6-early 7c) in Houryuuji 法隆寺, Nara. As in this example, the nikkei is often covered by curly hair known as *rahotsu 螺髪. From the late Heian period a circular mark, inlaid with quartz or painted red, was included at the front base of the nikkei *nikkeishu 肉髻珠.

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*byakugou 白毫

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