Hiten (Flying Apsara)

Hiten, literally “Flying Apsaras”, are heavenly beings invisible to the human eye, believed to fly with superhuman power and speed. Japanese Buddhist depictions show Apsaras flying over Buddha’s pure land, praising him by scattering flowers, playing instruments or burning incense. Celestial beings such as this were usually placed on the rims of a halo or mandorla behind a Buddha image. Considering the work’s size, it may have been part of the mandorla that framed a Buddha about five meters in height.