Turning her back across the centuries, an elegant image of a Tenpyo era (Nara period) Bijin by Tsuda Houn signed on the base Houn Saku. It is 48 cm (19 inches) tall and in overall excellent condition, with an abrasion to her outermost finger.
This type of classical female figure is often described in Japan as a Tenpyo Bijin. Tenpyo was an era at the peak of Nara culture when Buddhism spread throughout Japan, and the great Buddhist hall at Todaiji was completed. The Emperor Shomu abdicated the throne after 20 years of rule, becoming the first Emperor to take Buddhist vows (as did his wife the Empress) and he was succeeded by his daughter, thus the era also has great relevance today.
