BackNo.61
JANUARY 1937
This summary is compiled by Mr. TAKASHI KATSUKI.
TWO MASTERPIECES OF BUDDHISTIC PAINTING IN AMERICAN COLLECTIONS (PART I)
By Prof. YUKIO YASHIRO
Japanese Buddhistic paintings should occupy a particular position in the history of art in the world; not only because they are excellent representations of the artistic desire and sense of the Japanese people, but also because of their unique value in the art world as the only extant examples of that phase of Buddhistic art of many centuries ago in the present day. So far as painting is concerned there'are scarcely any remaining examples outside Japan, with the exception of those discovered at Tun-huang and others. Even those examples, however, are only local products. It is regrettable that Japanese Buddhistic paintings, which represent the general conception of the Buddhistic faith, are recognized very little in the history of art in the world, due to poor examples in the collections of museums abroad.
People are generally impressed with the grace and colorfulness of Japanese paintings partly due to the success of the school of Korin, Ukiyo-ye, and some monochrome paintings in ink, and to their ignorance of real first-hand examples of religious paintings based on traditional background.
However, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Freer Art Gallery, Washington, of all other museums in the world have long been known for their wealth of Japanese art which also includes a fair amount of Buddhistic painting. Of their collections the painting of Yamantaka in the Boston Museum and that of Horokaku Mandala in the Freer Art Gallery are considered by the writer the best examples of Japanese religious painting.
On the wall in a gallery of the Boston Museum the Yamantaka draws visitors' attention by its label which tells that the picture was donated by Bigelow in honor of Kakuzo Okakura. Before this painting came to the possession of the Museum through the efforts of Bigelow and Okakura an interesting story of its earlier history is related. The painting, according to Mr. T. Mizoguchi, present curator of the Department of Fine Arts at the Imperial Household Museum, Tokyo, was once taken from the estate of a noble to the museum with the intention of selling it. However, the purchasing fund of the museum was so limited that the museum had to return it.
But such a masterpiece was it, that Mr. Mizoguchi was loth to do so, and he took it to Mr. Kakuzo Okakura, then curator of the same department, who lay ill in the hospital. Mr. Okakura was so impressed with it that he asked Mr. Mizoguchi whether, or not, he could buy it for his own personal collection. The transaction was made and under these circumstances the painting came into his possession, and upon his departure for America it accompanied him. After his death it found a permanent resting place in the Boston Museum at the generosity of Mr. Bigelow. These gentlemen were largely responsible for the establishment of the Oriental Department of the Museum.
The first impression one receives of the Yamantaka with its six heads, hands and feet, riding on the back of a buffalo, is its dark-greenish body. Panted dimly with broad brush strokes in such low tone as to give a sense of solidity to the body these same strokes almost seem to disappear at close view. However, they at the same time create an atmosphere of heaviness and awesomeness which pervades the painting.
The expressions of ferociousness and anger,apparent in the glaring eyes and gaping mouths of three of the six heads of Yamantaka are formidable, to say the least. The flame-like hair is emphasized by lines of gold-leaf, and in contrast to the dreadful countenance the simple garment worn by Yamantaka is beautifully decorated with a floral design in color and in gold-leaf.
The buffalo is painted in pale green which graduates to a pinkish-white on its breast. The elliptical shaped rug on which the buffalo is lying is designed with chrysanthemums against a white-washed ground fringed in pale vermilion. The violent anger of the figure is born out further by the swirling flames of pure red raging in the background.
Comparing the Boston Yamantaka with that of Kyoogokoku-ji Temple and of Danzan Shrine it is easy to see that the Boston Yamantaka stands apart from these two in its vividness and its composition. In the Yamantaka of Daigo-ji Temple extreme emphasis is laid on its emotional expression, and as a result it lacks profundity.
The success of the Boston Yamantaka depends not only on its technical skill but also on its sublime atmosphere which is regarded as an indispensable element in religious painting at large.
Yamantaka was one of Five Great Gods and his mission was to guard the Buddhistic faith against any alien influence. However, his original mission was gradually lost sight of by people who thirsted for vengeance and in the course of time he came to be regarded as an avenging god to whom anyone might appeal. Finally, it is recorded, Yamantaka became popular as an independent god at the end of the Heian period.
The age of this painting is deceiving for the general impression one receives is that it seems much older than it is. But the strong lines with which the Yamantaka and the buffalo are drawn are accented in the Yamato-ye style and the detail in parts reflects a much advanced culture. The stylized representation of flame in the background suggests the arrival of the Five Great Gods of Kyoogokoku-ji Temple not long afterward and they are considered the works of the second year of Taiji (1127 A. D.). The Boston Yamantaka, however, still shows the traditional features of the art of the esoteric sects which were prevalent in the Konin period (ca. 794-897 A.D.). Thus, the writer sets the date of the Boston Yamantaka between the middle and the end of the eleventh century.
SUPPLEMENTARY STUDY OF AVALOKITESVARA IN FUJIO-KANNON-DO HALL, NAGANO
By SHOZABURO MARUO
In an incomplete discussion in the Bijutsu Kenkyu No. XXV the writer mentioned that this thousand-armed Avalokitesvara is to be seen in Fujio-Kannon-do Hall, an old temple in Nagano prefecture. The statue is thrice-important for its recognition as a production of the Fujiwa period, its uniqueness as an example of local art and for its written records kept inside the statue.
More material, however, was brought to light when the statue was recently repaired. The writer's interest is focussed especially on a piece of board which is 78 cm. long, 19.1 cm. wide, I.7 cm. thick, and the name of two characters read as 'Nishina' written in ink inside the neck (Pl. X.). On the board from top to bottom are six groups of inscriptions (Pl. X). They include copies of the two different kinds of Buddhistic scripture, the names of the donator, Moriie, and his family, the future prosperity of whom the statue was built for, the priests who were concerned in the matter, as well as the sculptor, Keien, the scribe, Priest Tankei, and the date of the sculpture. These last two items appear also on the other side of the board, the date reading the twenty-eighth of November in the third year of Jisho (1179 A. D.). These materials are significant not only in setting an example but also in revealing the conditional factors in the building of the statue.
The word 'Nishina' discovered inside the neck of the statue the writer is inclined to believe is the family name of a wealthy landlord in that locality at that time, and reads the word 'Moriie' as the given name of 'Nishina' which is considered the name of the donator inscribed on the board. From that angle, then, the name 'Nishina' also suggests that the statue may have been made in that district.
The discussion must here be brought to a close for the time being, although there are many other points which must of necessity be left to some future date including that of the sculptor.
SCROLL-PAINTING, HONEN-SHONIN YEDEN, BELONGING TO ZOJO-JI TEMPLE
By KENDO URATSUJI
So many biographies of Honen-Shonin, founder of the Jodo sect of Buddhism in Japan, some of which are written on scrolls with or without illustrations, have been handed down from time to time. They amount to almost two hundred and fifteen volumes in approximately fifteen different issues.
In recognition of their artistic merit and historical significance one hundred and twelve volumes in nine different scroll-paintings have been registered as National Treasures including two volumes of Zojo-ji Temple, Tokyo.
Studies on these works have been prepared by various scholars. However, the present writer desires to develop this subject of the scroll-painting belonging to Zojo-ji Temple in connection with hist special interest concerning its transmission and the date of the literary text as well as the illustrations.
The Zojo-ji scroll consists of two volumes painted on paper in color entitled, "Life of Honen-Shonin". The first volume records the story which begins with the building of the gravestone of Tokikuni, father of Priest Honen (Pl. XI), and ends with the departure of the young Honen to Hiei mountain for education (Pl. II). This is achieved in three sections with both text and illustration. The second volume, divided into eight sections, begins with the pictured account of young Honen at the age of fifteen being taught the Buddhistic disciplines which should be observed in his religious life, the ceremony of shaving the head preparatory to receiving the priesthood (Pl. III), concluding with a picture of Honen giving advice to Josaimon-in, second daughter of the Emperor Toba, who became a nun and died in 1189 A. D. (Pl. XV). It is unfortunate that both volumes lack the most significant scenes such as those of the birth and death of Honen Shonin.
To ascertain the date of the Zojo-ji scroll-painting the present writer draws a comparison between the date of the text of the Zojo-ji scroll and the other biographies of Honen-Shonin especially concerning the contents. He has come to the conclusion that the text of the Zojo-ji scroll-painting was compiled in about the same period that the Shui-kotoku den was compiled which was in 1301 A. D. Accordingly it is acknowledged that the Zojo-ji scroll-painting would not have been made before 1301 A. D.
Among the many different scroll-paintings on the same subject there is one of nine volumes known also as Shui-kotoku-den in the possession of Jofuku-ji Temple (from which it received its other appellation, Jofuku-ji scroll) and which was produced in 1323 A. D.
In style, howevrer, the Zojo-ji scroll is superior to the Jofuku-ji scroll which suggests that the Zojo-ji scroll was produced earlier than the Jofuku-ji scroll. Therefore the Zojo-ji scroll was probably done between 1301 A. D. and 1323 A. D. On the other hand the illustrations of the Zojo-ji scroll-painting show characteristic features in common with those of the famous scroll-panting of the "Life of Priest Saigyo" produced in the middle of the Kamakura period, especially in their graceful, fluent lines and delicate coloring. The Zojo-ji scroll of Honen-Shonin compared to those which attained the acme of achievement seems inferior. In spite of this fact the scroll is worthy of praise in its general composition particularly the background which is quite effective. The last section of the first volume (Pl. XIII) as well as the first five sections of the second volume (Pl. XIII & XIV) are considered the high spots, showing a skillful arrangement of the background and the unerring technique in drawing objects. The pictures were done generally after the Yamato-ye style, but were also influenced by Chinese painting following the Sung and Yuan periods.
It must be conceded, therefore, that the Zojo-ji scroll is one of the best among extant scroll-paintings on the life of Honen-Shonin. They all seem to have one tendency in common in that their artists lavishly devote space to unnecessary depiction irrespective of the corresponding literary text. Some artists show definite ability in representing the life of the lower class people, but fall down on the life of the upper strata. This is a characteristic feature of scroll-painting in times of decadence.
The production of different scrolls on the same subject was partly due to the fact that various subsects of the Jodo sect produced the Honen-Shonin scrolls for their own purpose. That gives rise to the question as to which diocese of the Jodo sect was responsible for the Zojo-ji scroll; but in respect to this there is unfortunately no clue by which we can draw any exact information. The writer prefers rather to concentrate on the subject of the remaining two volumes of the Zojo-ji scroll which have come down to us. A comparison may be made between this scroll and the four-volume Honcho-soshi-den and nine-volume Shui-kotoku-den. Close examination reveals that the arrangement of the stories in the present two volumes of the Zojo-ji scroll almost corresponds to that of the first volume of the Honcho-soshi-den, and that the Jofuku-ji scroll is on a larger scale than the Zojo-ji scroll-painting. This fact allows us to surmise that the original scroll of the Zojo-ji may have consisted of eight volumes altogether.
The artist of the Zojo-ji scroll and also of the voluminous scrolls of the Chion-in and the Taima-ji is commonly believed to have been Yoshimitsu; but it is the opinion of Prof. S. Fujikake of the Imperial University of Tokyo that the name of Yoshimitsu was linked with the Zojo-ji scroll to give it traditional dignity such as surrounded those famous scrolls of the Chion-in and the Taima-ji. On the other hand, the zojo-ji scroll is not analogous in technique to those of the Chion-in and the Taima-ji. As a matter of fact, there is no reliable record either of the life of Yoshimitsu or his painting. To whom can we ascribe the Zojo-ji scroll, then? Korakuji Joga?
Korakuji Joga is commonly known as an artist who was closely related to the Shin sect and the two volumes of the scroll-painting of the "Life of Priest Shinran", founder of the Shin sect, are attributed to his brush. The Zojo-ji scroll, it is noted, bears resemblance to the scroll of the "Life of Priest Shinran" especially in its expression of figures. And, if the date of the Zojo-ji scroll is assumed to have been between the third year of Shoan (1301 A. D.) and the third year of Genko (1323 A. D.), Joga was then between twenty-seven and forty-nine years of age as "he died on the thirteenth of February in the second year of Enbun (1356 A. D.)" according to the late Prof. S. Sawamura. As our present information is extremely limited we can come to no definite conclusion as to the identity of the artist of the Zojo-ji scroll-painting.
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES
Pl. I-III & XI-XV Honen-Shonin Yeden.
Color on paper. Mounted as scroll in two volumes.
Height: 33 cm., each; width: 1008.9 cm., Vol. I, 1091.2 cm., Vol. II.
Zojo-ji Temple, Tokyo.
(See the article by Kendo Uratsuji)
Pl. IV & VIII Yamantaka.
Color on silk. Framed.
Height: 194 cm; width: 118 cm.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
(See the article by Prof. Yukio Yashiro)
Pl. V Yamantaka.
Color on silk. Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 172.7 cm.; width: 128.8 cm.
Kyoogokoku-ji Temple, Kyoto.
This painting is one of the series of five paintings on the subject of the Five Great Gods which were used for the religious ceremony in the Shingon chapel in the Imperial Palace, and which, except for this occasion, were kept in Kyoogokoku-ji Temple. Priest Kakunin is recognized as the artist of these masterpieces as well as of Juni-ten of the same temple, consisting of twelve mounted kakemono (c. f. The Bijutsu Kenkyu, No. LVII), painted after the destruction of the treasure house of Kyoogokoku-ji Temple by fire in the second year of Taiji (1127 A. D.).
This highly decorative representation of an atrocious looking God is a rather extreme example. Comparative studies of the Yamantaka of Kyoogokoku-ji Temple, of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and of Daigo-ji Temple are made by Prof. Yashiro in this number.
Pl. VI & XVI Yamantaka.
Color on silk. Framed.
Height: 141.4 cm.; width: 82.3 cm.
Toshodai-ji Temple, Nara.
This Yamantaka as is that of Kyoogokoku-ji is recognized as a masterpiece. The representation of this Yamantaka, as one of the Five Great Gods, is unusual in that that awe-inspiring being is depicted as an independent God standing upright riding a buffalo and accompanied by eight demon-like attendants. It can be safely regarded as a sort of Yamantaka Mandala.
This example of Buddhistic painting is unique in its violence of movement. Unfortunately, it is so worn that the contour of the central figure is barely discernible. In spite of this the dark-greenish body of the Yamantaka and the warm color of his garment with its bold design suggest the traditional. Undoubtedly the general mood is greatly exaggerated, yet the limbs of the main figure are realistically treated. The present Yamantaka merits appreciation as an example of Buddhistic painting in the last stage before flowering into the decorative style of the next period.
Pl. VII Landscape with Chinese Poet, by Ryosen, Japanese painter of the sixteenth century.
Slight color on paper. Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 83.7 cm.; width: 37.3 cm.
Imperial School of Art, Tokyo.
Ryosen's work is very rarely known and the present painting may be his only extant example. His work shows the influence of Shubun, Japanese painter of the fifteenth century, especially in representing the rock in the foreground. The well-advanced Chinese influences of the Sung and Yuan periods following Shubun resulted in large-scale composition as well as in simplified technique. Furthermore, the brush in the hand of Ryosen suggests, with some freedom, the coming of the "Unkoku" style, a creation of Togan, also Japanese painter of the sixteenth century. According to the Honcho-ga-shi written by Eino Kano (d. 1697 A. D.)--the history of Japanese painting--a painting with Ryosen's signature, seal and bearing the date of the eighth year of Tenmon (1539 A. D.) is said to have existed. Of his life, however, we know almost next to nothing.