On the back at the top of the ungilded section there is a four character kanji inscription that has been translated as "Nichiren Sonsha" (Nichiren is a famous priest name in Japan - - Sonsha translated as respected person.) Below that there is a very old paper written in English that must have been put on the piece by an early collector. It is possible to make out a few words but basically the writing has become so faded and brittle with age that the full wording cannot be read..

The piece is 8 ½” high by 5” wide by 3 ½” deep. It is in very fine condition with the exception of the few areas where the gold leaf has started to peel. The right hand is missing – the left had holds a small round cup. Fine patina. The carving is very well done and the monk's face has a lovely serenity. We date it to sometime between 1750s and 1820s.

Nichiren (Japanese - (February 16, 1222 – October 13, 1282) was a Buddhist monk who lived during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) in Japan. Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment and the chanting of as the essential practice of the teaching. He is credited with founding what has come to be known as Nichiren Buddhism, a major school of Japanese Buddhism encompassing numerous sects espousing diverse doctrines.