The eleven-headed form of the bodhisattva Kannon wasone of the
first deities of Esoteric Buddhism to be worshiped in Japan. Ten
of his heads are in the form of bodhisattvas. The eleventh, the
topmost, is that of Amida (Sanskrit: Amitâbha), the Buddha of
which Kannon is considered an emanation. The eleven heads
symbolize Kannon's ability to see suffering in all corners of
the universe and respond with compassion to those in need.The
fluid, deeply undercut modeling of the drapery follows the
sculptural style developed in Nara in the thirteenth century by
sculptors of the Kei school, who delighted in creating
naturalistic images in dynamic poses accentuated by the
treatment of the garments. This imposing figure, however,
features a more decorative treatment of the robe and a heavy,
solemn face, which suggest that it was carved in the fourteenth
century. It was originally housed in Kuhonji, a small Shingon
school temple located northwest of Kyoto.