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Chakra
Not on view
The chakra (hōrin or rinpō) symbolizes the wheel of the Buddhist Law, hence the phrase "turning of the wheel" to describe the lectures given by the Historical Buddha. The eight spokes on this wheel, which correspond to the eight points of the outer edge, are shaped like a vajra. The hub resembles a lotus flower with eight petals and innumerable stamens. Two rings circle the rim where it meets the spokes, the inner ring with a pearl motif, the outer with a pattern of flower petals. The vajra-shaped spokes are thin in contrast to the wide and thick outer rim, suggesting that this chakra is a work of the late Kamakura period.
Based on original work by Miyeko Murase (Bridge of Dreams: The Mary Griggs Burke Collection of Japanese Art [New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000], cat. no. 28).
