Shaka at Birth (Tōdai-ji)
Shaka at Birth is a standing gilt-bronze statue of the infant Buddha at Todai-ji in Nara, Japan, which, together with a large lustration basin, is from the Nara period (around the 8th century) and is designated a National Treasure. The artwork depicts the moment of the Buddha’s birth: the baby Buddha rises with his right arm raised toward the heavens and his left hand pointing to the earth.
Legends say the Buddha emerged from Queen Maya’s side in Lumbini, then took seven steps and spoke his famous proclamation. The infant was bathed by two nāga (serpent deities) after birth. In Buddhist tradition, this moment is celebrated in ceremonies that re-create the bathing of small Buddha statues.
In Japan, the annual kanbutsu-e, or hana matsuri (“flower festival”), involves bathing a small Buddha figure amidst flowers. Perfumed water was used in the past, but since the 19th century amacha (sweet hydrangea tea) or plain water is common; sometimes the statue is simply wiped with silk.
The tradition of celebrating the Buddha’s birth in Japan began when Empress Suiko ordered vegetarian feasts in temples in 606. Records show kanbutsuzō—images for sprinkling—at major temples, and Todai-ji’s example is generally dated to the 750s.
Today, a temporary flower hall is set up in front of Todai-ji’s Great Buddha Hall for the festival. The Shaka at Birth statue was used in the ceremonies into the late 20th century and has since been replaced by a copy.
The infant Buddha statue shows him bare-chested in a simple skirt, with a serene, smiling face, long earlobes, and snail-shell curls. The original pedestal has been lost and replaced with a wooden lotus-base. The accompanying basin is the largest of its kind and is carved with figures, animals, landscapes, and other scenes, reflecting both Buddhist and secular motifs and Tang Chinese influence. Like the statue, the basin is gilt bronze and was made using the lost-wax method.
Both pieces are celebrated as masterpieces of eighth-century metalwork.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:59 (CET).