Ashura, a Japanese National Treasure sculpture from 734
In the mid-6th century, the introduction of Buddhism from Korea (Baekje) to Japan resulted in a revival of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist monks, artisans and scholars settled around the capital in Yamato Province (present day Nara Prefecture) and passed their techniques to native craftsmen. Consequently, early Japanese sculptures from the Asuka and Hakuhō periods show strong influences of continental art, which initially were characterized by almond-shaped eyes, upward-turned crescent-shaped lips and symmetrically arranged folds in the clothing. The workshop of the Japanese sculptor Tori Busshi, who was strongly influenced by the Northern Wei style, produced works which exemplify such characteristics. The Shakyamuni triad and the Guze Kannon at Hōryū-ji are prime examples. By the late 7th century, wood replaced bronze and copper. By the early Tang dynasty, greater realism was expressed by fuller forms, long narrow slit eyes, softer facial features, flowing garments and embellishments with ornaments such as bracelets and jewels. Two prominent examples of sculptures of this period are the Shō Kannon at Yakushi-ji and the Yumechigai Kannon at Hōryū-ji.[1][2][3]
During the Nara period, from 710 to 794, the government established and supported workshops called zōbussho, the most prominent of which was located in the capital Nara at Tōdai-ji, which produced Buddhist statuary. Clay, lacquer and wood, in addition to bronze, were used. Stylistically, the sculptures were influenced by the high Tang style, showing fuller body modelling, more natural drapery and a greater sense of movement. Representative examples of Nara period sculpture include the Great Buddha and the Four Heavenly Kings at Tōdai-ji, or the Eight Legions at Kōfuku-ji.[4]
Early Heian period works before the mid-10th century appear heavy compared to Nara period statues, carved from single blocks of wood, and characterised by draperies carved with alternating round and sharply cut folds. Stylistically, they followed high to later Tang style. In the Heian period the zōbussho were replaced with temple-run and independent workshops; wood became the primary medium; and a specific Japanese style emerged. By the mid-10th century, the style was refined presenting a more calm and gentle appearance, with attenuated proportions. Jōchō was the most important sculptor of this time, and he used the yosegi technique, in which several pieces of wood are joined to sculpt a single figure. He was the ancestor of three important schools of Japanese Buddhist statuary: the Enpa, Inpa and Keiha school. The Amida Nyorai at Byōdō-in is the only extant work by Jōchō.[4][5][6] Japanese sculpture experienced a renaissance during the Kamakura period, led by the Kei school. Partially influenced by Song dynasty China, their sculpture is characterised by realism featuring elaborate top knots, jewelry, and wavy drapery. Although predominantly wooden, bronze was also used as a material for the statues. As a novelty, portrait sculptures of prominent monks were created adjacent to the depiction of Buddhist deities.[7]
The term "National Treasure" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897.[8] The definition and the criteria have changed since the inception of the term. These sculptures adhere to the current definition, and have been designated national treasures since the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties came into force on June 9, 1951. The items are selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology based on their "especially high historical or artistic value".[9][10] This list presents 141 entries of sculptures, including those from Classical and early Feudal Japan of the 7th-century Asuka period to the 13th-century Kamakura period, although the number of sculptures is higher, because groups of related sculptures have sometimes been joined to form single entries. The sculptures listed depict Buddhist and Shintō deities or priests venerated as founders of temples. Some of the most ancient sculptures were imported directly from China.[10][11]
Statistics
Various materials have been used for the sculptures. Although most are wooden, 12 entries in the list are bronze, 11 are lacquer, 7 are made of clay and 1 entry, the Usuki Stone Buddhas, is a stone sculpture. Typically hinoki, Japanese nutmeg, sandalwood and camphorwood were the woods used for the wooden sculptures. Wooden sculptures were often lacquered or covered with gold-leaf. The smallest statue measures around 10 centimetres (3.9in), whereas the Great Buddhas of Nara and Kamakura are about 13 metres (43ft) and 15 metres (49ft) high. The objects on the list are located in Buddhist temples, or in museums associated with temples. Some items are located in shrines, as well as in secular museums.[10][11][12]
Nara Prefecture is home to the largest number of National Treasure sculptures, with 77 of the 141 entries. Together with the 42 entries located in Kyoto Prefecture, they constitute the bulk of sculptural National Treasures. Hōryū-ji and Kōfuku-ji are the locations with the most entries, with 18 and 18 designations respectively.
Map showing the location of sculptural National Treasures in Japan
The table's columns (except for Remarks and Pictures) are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works.
Remarks: placement of statues (as a group, separately,...) and artist (if known)
Date: period and year; The column entries sort by year. If only a period is known, they sort by the start year of that period.
Material and technique: wood/bronze/..., lacquered/colored/...; The column entries sort by the main material (stone/clay/wood/lacquer/bronze).
Pose: standing/seated Amida Nyorai/Yakushi Nyorai/...; The column entries sort by the name of the principal image or as "set" in the case of sets of sculptures that don't fall under a common group name.
Height: height in cm; The column entries sort by the largest height if an entry is a group of statues.
Present location: "building-name temple/museum/shrine-name town-name prefecture-name"; The column entries sort as "prefecture-name town-name temple/museum/shrine-name building-name".
Image: picture of the statue or a characteristic statue in a group of statues
Treasures
Name
Remarks
Date
Material
Pose
Height
Present location
Image
Statues and canopy inside the Golden Hall (Konjiki-dō) (金色堂堂内諸像及天蓋, konjiki-dō dōnai shozō oyobi tengai)[13]
32 statues in the three altars and another seated Amida Nyorai with fragments of a wooden halo-pedestal. The three canopies of the altars are part of the nomination.
Kyoto Kyoto Toji Lecture HallLecture Hall (講堂, kō-dō), Tō-ji, Kyoto
—
Shakyamuni (Shaka Nyorai) (木造釈迦如来立像, mokuzō shaka nyorai ryūzō) and objects found within the statue[12][48]
Copy of lost Udayana Buddha by the Chinese sculptors and brothers Zhāng Yánjiǎo and Zhāng Yánxí. Brought to Japan from China in 986 by the monk Chōnen (奝然). Includes a model of the internal organs, made of silk and other materials, a paper with the seal of Chōnen and other items. Inscription of repair dated 1218
The statue has a total of 1041 arms: 2 main arms with the hand palms facing each other in front of the statue, 38 large and 1001 small arms extending from behind the body.
Principal image of the West Octagonal Hall (西円堂,, saien-dō). One of three National Treasure Yakushi Nyorai at Hōryū-ji. The others are located in the Kon-dō and in the Large Lecture Hall (大講堂,, daikō-dō).
Statues are placed in a circle surrounding Yakushi Nyorai. Oldest extant sculptures of the Twelve Heavenly Generals. One statue, Haira (波夷羅), dated 1931 is excluded from the nomination. Each of the twelve statues' heads is adorned with one of the twelve animals of the zodiac.[87]
clayColored clay, gold leaf over lacquer (shippaku (漆箔))
setTotal of 78 statues and two other objects: Miroku Bosatsu leaning against an elephant (S); seated Yuimakoji, seated Monju Bosatsu and 14 attendants (E); Dying Buddha (涅槃釈迦, nehan shaka) (Shaka Nyorai) and 31 attendants (N); Gold coffin, reliquary and 29 attendants (W)
Kannon (銅造観音菩薩立像, dōzō kannon bosatsu ryūzō) or Yumechigai Kannon (夢違観音)[22][93]
Its common name derives from the belief that the statue could change bad dreams into good dreams. Formerly the principal statue of the Tōin eden (東院絵殿). One of four National Treasure standing Kannon Bosatsu statues at Hōryū-ji. Two more are also in the Great Treasure Gallery (大宝蔵院, daihōzō-in), while the third Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined in the Hall of Dreams (夢殿, yumedono).
Yakushi Nyorai is placed on a 150cm (59in) high pedestal combining elements of different cultures of the world: grape-vine (Greek), lotus flower pattern (Mideast), crouching barbarians (India), dragon, tiger and tortoise (China). Unusually, the Yakushi does not carry a medicine pot in his hand.[91]
One of three National Treasure Yakushi Nyorai at Hōryū-ji. The others are located in the West Octagonal Hall (西円堂,, saien-dō) and in the Large Lecture Hall (大講堂,, daikō-dō).
The largest statue in this list and the largest gilt bronze statue in the world, and the main hall of Tōdai-ji, in which it is located, is the largest wooden structure in the world.[100]
Hachiman in the guise of a Buddhist monk (木造僧形八幡神坐像, mokuzō sōgyō hachimanjin zazō), Empress Jingū (木造神功皇后坐像, mokuzō jingūkōgō zazō), Nakatsuhime (木造仲津姫命坐像, mokuzō nakatsuhime zazō)[22]
Tentoki attributed to Kōben (康弁), Ryūtoki by Kōben. Tentōki is a creature unique to Japan and Ryūtōki carries a lantern as offering to the Historical Buddha.[110]
One of four National Treasure standing Kannon Bosatsu statues at Hōryū-ji. Two more are also in the Great Treasure Gallery (大宝蔵院, daihōzō-in), while the third Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined in the Hall of Dreams (夢殿, yumedono).
One of four National Treasure standing Kannon Bosatsu statues at Hōryū-ji. Two more are also in the Great Treasure Gallery (大宝蔵院, daihōzō-in), while the third Kannon Bosatsu is enshrined in the Hall of Dreams (夢殿, yumedono). It has been conjectured to be a work of Korean artisans.[1]
Kannon (木造観世音菩薩立像, mokuzō kanzeon bosatsu ryūzō) or Guze Kannon (救世観音)[1]
Oldest extant wooden statue in Japan. One of four National Treasure standing Kannon Bosatsu statues at Hōryū-ji. The others are located in the Great Treasure Gallery (大宝蔵院, daihōzō-in).
Produced for the South Octagonal Hall, this group has long been placed in the Central Golden Hall (中金堂). There are four sets of Four Heavenly Kings designated as National Treasure at Kōfuku-ji. [nb 3]
Only six of the eight statues date to the Kamakura period and are National Treasures. The remaining two (Anokuda (阿耨達), Shitoku (指徳)) were produced in the 14th century and are not included in this nomination. By Unkei. Formerly enshrined in the Fudō-dō (不動堂)
set59 statues in total in four groups. (i) Furuzono group (古園石仏, furuzono sekibutsu): 13 statues; (ii) Sannō group (山王山石仏, sannōzan sekibutsu): 3 statues; (iii) Hoki group (ホキ石仏, hoki sekibutsu), 1st cave: 25 statues (iv) Hoki group, 2nd cave: 18 statues
1 2 3 The Usuki Stone Buddhas, the sculptures at Kongō-ji and the 1001 Kannon images at Sanjūsangen-dō date to the late Heian, early Kamakura period and are therefore counted double in this table. The canopies at the Kon-dō of Hōryū-ji date to the Asuka dna Kamakura periods and are therefore counted double in this table.
↑ The temple uses a different association of statues with names of the generals than the national treasure nomination. Here the temple scheme is used.
1 2 3 4 The four National Treasure sets of fFour Heavenly Kings at Kōfuku-ji are located in the Eastern Golden Hall (東金堂,, tōkon-dō), the North Octagonal Hall (北円堂, hokuen-dō), and two groups in the South Octagonal Hall (南円堂, nanendō).
Related Research Articles
Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school.
A National Treasure is the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. A Tangible Cultural Property is considered to be of historic or artistic value, classified either as "buildings and structures" or as "fine arts and crafts". Each National Treasure must show outstanding workmanship, a high value for world cultural history, or exceptional value for scholarship.
The Kei school was a Japanese school (style) of Buddhist sculpture which emerged in the early Kamakura period. Based in Nara, it was the dominant school in Buddhist sculpture in Japan into the 14th century, and remained influential until the 19th. Art historian Joan Stanley Baker cites the Kei school's early works as the last highpoint in the history of Japanese sculpture.
Shin-Yakushi-ji (新薬師寺) is a Buddhist temple of the Kegon sect in Nara, Japan. It was founded in 747 by Empress Kōmyō. Initially a large complete Shichidō garan temple, it suffered from fire damage and deteriorated during the Heian period. The temple was revived during the Kamakura period. Only one building, the present main hall or Hon-dō (本堂), has survived from the 8th century. All other structures date to the Kamakura period.
A Cultural Property is administered by the Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs, and includes tangible properties ; intangible properties ; folk properties both tangible and intangible; monuments historic, scenic and natural; cultural landscapes; and groups of traditional buildings. Buried properties and conservation techniques are also protected. Together these cultural properties are to be preserved and utilized as the heritage of the Japanese people.
The seated wooden statue of Dainichi Nyorai at the Shingon temple of Enjō-ji in Nara is the earliest and best-substantiated work by Japanese master sculptor Unkei. An inscription on the pedestal records that he began work on the piece in 1175 and brought it to completion the following year. The sculpture has been designated a National Treasure. Unkei's next documented works, from the early 1180s, were commissioned by military leaders prominent in the ensuing Kamakura shogunate, for temples in eastern Japan. These works are physically more massive and powerful, as are his giant Niō at Tōdai-ji. By contrast, in this early work Unkei employed a more "gentle" or "tranquil" style.
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↑ F. Moran, Sherwood (1972). "Early Heian Sculpture at Its Best: Three Outstanding Examples". Artibus Asiae. Artibus Asiae Publishers. 34 (2/3): 119–161. doi:10.2307/3249644. JSTOR3249644.
↑ 文化審議会答申 国宝・重要文化財（美術工芸品）の指定について[Council of Cultural Affairs: Designation of National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in the Arts and Crafts category](PDF) (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. 2024-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-17.
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