This circa 18th to 19th century wooden Buddhist statue is encased in a zushi or miniature shrine. The zushi is a sacred home to animate “hidden buddhas” or “secret buddhas.” In his article, “Secret Buddhas: The Limits of Buddhist Represent,” Fabio Rambelli imparts that, “Particularly significant among such hidden objects are hibutsu, literally ‘secret buddhas.’ Considered as the most sacred icons in a temple, these images are not displayed except on rare occasions,” after an offering or ceremony is performed (2002, 271). “A secret buddha is a particular entity in that particular collection of sacred objects that is the Buddhist temple. It is visible only at certain times (in some cases, never) and in ritualized contexts such as a temple festival, a temporary exhibit or contingent upon the presentation of an “offering” to the temple–hibutsu are on display (when they are at all) in a strictly controlled ritualized space and time” (2002, 272-273).

Inside the zushi, resides a finely carved wooden figure of Shaka Nyorai Buddha (also known as Siddhartha Gautama in Sanskrit) sitting in lotus position with his hands in Dhyana Mudra. This mudra is for meditation and the attainment of spiritual perfection; it indicates the rest of the senses, perfect balance of thought, and general tranquility. The born out of mud, the lotus represents spiritual attainment and perfection in Buddhist thought. The writing on the back of the Shrine is most likely the name of the craftsman.