jirenge　持蓮華

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

An object shaped like a lotus bud and stem used in Buddhist rituals, particularly favored by the Ji 時 sect. Usually made of wood, it may be held instead of a rosary between the middle fingers of the hands when clasped in prayer. Occasionally a wheel (like the tenbourin 転法輪 which is turned in Buddhist rituals) is attached to the bottom of the stem. An ancient Buddhist symbol, the lotus represents the purity of Buddha in this defiled world (see *rengeza 蓮華座). A fully-open lotus, kaifu renge 開敷蓮華 symbolizes the attainment of enlightenment, while the unopened lotus bud, mikaifu renge 未開敷蓮華 symbolizes an ordinary person who seeks enlightenment and has requested help from *Amida 阿弥陀 to be taken to paradise joudo 浄土. The late Kamakura period wooden jirenge (17.2cm) from Shouganji 称願寺 in Yamanashi prefecture is one of the oldest extant examples. It was discovered inside a seated image of Taa 他阿 (1237-1319), who was the main disciple of *Ippen 一遍 (1339-89), founder of the Ji sect. There also are two Muromachi period examples owned by Saikouji 西光寺 in Shizuoka prefecture. Very similar to the jirenge is a hand-held attribute *jimotsu 持物 for Buddhist images, especially of *Kannon 観音, in the form of a lotus bud.

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