Overview

One Thousand Buddhas, Buddha images painted on wooden panels, is a prominent example of early Japanese wall painting. Today, nine of these panels are extant: six on long boards and three on short boards. Four Buddhas representing the four directions are painted, one on each side, on the back and front of one long and one short board each; while the rest are decorated on the back and front with rows of little Buddhas. The Buddhas of the four directions, with stately facial and physical features, are depicted in a thick, unmodulated "wire-line" technique.