The miniature figure of Kannon stands on a lotus blossom base in a rocky outcropping, encased in a boat-shaped body halo or mandala. He is represented as an Indian prince with a crown, jewels and skirt, and he holds a bottle of heavenly nectar. Polychrome pigments have been used to color his hair and jewels, and there are gilt highlights on both the figure and the rocks. Kannon (called “Kuan-yin” in Chinese) is the bodhisattva or saint of mercy and compassion. The Japanese term Kannon literally means "watchful listening," and it is often translated as "the one who sees/hears all." This is indeed the task of the compassionate Kannon -- to witness and listen to the prayers and cries of those in difficulty in the earthly realm and to help them achieve enlightenment.

The tiny figure of Kobo Daishi is seated inside the doors of a miniature shrine. He sits on a wood chair which rests atop a pedestal, and his shoes are placed underneath the front of the chair in customary form. He holds a Buddhist rosary in his left hand and a vajra (mace with four prongs symbolizing a thunderbolt) in his right hand. There are gilt highlights on the figure and the shrine doors and drapery. Kobo Daishi (774-835) is one of the most venerated figures of early Japanese Buddhism. He was the founder of the Shingon (True Word) sect of Buddhism, as well as a philosopher, poet, educational reformer, painter and calligrapher.