In the 7th-9th centuries, <i>Kanshitou</i>, a dry lacquer technique introduced into Japan from China, was used for the creation of large statues. The statues could have hollow cores or wooden cores, but all had a surface coating consisting of a paste of kneaded <irushi</i>, clay, sawdust, and incense powder. Provides diagrams of the internal frameworks of 10 statues made with this technique. -- AATA