Nara’s kongō rikishi statues date to 1485

Workers restoring Kongō Rikishi statues at Chōhaku-ji temple in Takatori, Nara Prefecture, Japan, determined the statues likely originated in 1485 during the Muromachi period.

Researchers from Nara University discovered inscriptions inside the head of one statue revealing the names of three sculptors: Shunkei, Shunjo, and Jōshun. Previously, experts believed the statues were made during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The statues, made of kaya wood using the yosegi-zukuri technique, are 337 and 339 centimeters tall.

The restoration also revealed a construction method intended to make the statues lighter and easier to build.