BackNo.65
MAY 1937
This summary is compiled by Mr. TAKASHI KATSUKI.
MARBLE STATUE OF MAITREYA IN MARQUIS HOSOKAWA'S COLLECTION
Prof. YUKIO YASHIRO
Among foreign visitors to this country the present marble statue of Maitreya was once believed to be pottery. This mistake must he definitely corrected although it is excusable in view of the fact that the surface of the statue on which time and the elements have had a softening effect, as well as the remaining color which originally embellished it, somewhat resembled pottery.
There are two complicated problems surrounding this masterpiece which must be clearly outlined so far as it is possible: first--its provenance, second--its iconographical meaning.
According to Mr. Hayasaki, the present statue was acquired by him from a temple Caotang-si in the suburb of Hsi-an Fu in 1903. The late Professor Tei Sekino, on the other hand, says in his monumental work on the Buddhistic remains in China that the present statue was surely in a different temple Huata-si (Baoqing-si) in Hsi-an Fu when Dr. Chuta Ito visited the place in 1902, because it actually appears in a photograph taken by Dr. Ito in situ at the time, but four years later when he, Professor Sekino, made a visit to the same place, the statue was no longer there. Reproduced in the present number of the Bijutsu Kenkyu (p. 4), readers will find the same photograph, where, according to Dr. Sekino, the Statue is seen placed on the second story of a pagoda. It is extremely difficult, however, to identify the statue definitely from the photograph and we must leave the question of the provenance of the statue by merely giving the two diverse theories concerning it.
Now about the iconography of the present statue--statues in this posture of meditation have been called in Japan either Cintamanicakra or Maitreya. Of these two appellations that of Cintamanicakra must have been a later attribution, because Cintamanicakra is a god of the esoteric sect of Buddhism and its name could not have been given to statues made before the introduction of that branch of Buddhism into Japan in the ninth century. Then by what name were those statues originally called? One appellation which certainly existed was that of Avalokitesvara.
Among Chinese sculptures, we find examples of the statue in the same posture. which have each a figure of Amitabha on their foreheads, a fact which proves that the statues represented Avalokitesvara. Strangely enough, in Japan no such example had been known to exist till quite recently when a Suiko statue (Pl. IX) with the same attribution was discovered, definitely indicating that the name of Avalokitesvara given to statues of that kind also existed in Japan from of old. This leads us to admit that the same name applied to the famous statue of Chugu-ji Temple. representing, tradition says and we can believe it, Prince Shotoku who was taken to be an incarnation of Avalokitesvara in his life-time.
None the less the name of Avalokitesvara could not have been the only one by which statues in the position of meditation were known when they had not the definite emblem of Amitabha on their foreheads. In Japan we have at least three examples, namely, the bronze statue of Yachuji Temple, Osaka (Pl. VIII), and two wooden statues of Koryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, which were definitely called Maitreya according to trustworthy documentary evidence of the time, i. e. the inscription engraved on the former and the old records concerning the latter which have been kept in the same Koryu-ji Temple. And these, fortunately preserved in Japan, must form at least some grounds for giving the name of Maitreya to similar statues existing abundantly in China and Korea, as well as in Japan. According to some scholars, this appellation based on the evidence found only in Japan and nowhere else, cannot be applied to Continental examples, unless similar documentary evidences be found on the Continent as well, and it is suggested that the old iconographical name Shii-zo, "Statue of the figure in meditation", is the only name applicable to the statues in question.
The "figure in meditation" originally represented Sakyamuni meditating under a tree, the nothingness of the world, before he abandoned it, and such representations occur often in the pictorial history of his life. "Figures in meditation" seem to have existed in China throughout the ages. and this fact is proved both by the remaining examples and by descriptions in religious and historical literature. However, at the same time we are deeply impressed by the fact that the life of Maitreya, the future Buddha, has many similarities to that of the present Buddha Sakyamuni.
One of most distinctive features of Maitreya is that he sits in meditation under a tree, waiting for an opportunity to rescue to Buddhahood all those people who were not in time to be saved by the present Buddha. It is not impossible that the two similar figures, Sakyamuni, the present Buddha meditating under a tree before his enlightenment, that is to say, meditating in the role of a future Buddha and Maitreya, the future Buddha, also meditating under a tree, should have a confusion between them, or rather a historical development from one to the other.
Now, during the Six Dynasties and Sui and T'ang periods Maitreya worship was very popular and, therefore, the existence of numerous statues and statuettes of Maitreya is presupposed while the Sakyamuni in that particular role of a meditating figure seems to have been conceived mainly as episodes in his life history rather than as independent objects of worship. The fact that statues in meditating position abundantly existed in China as well as in Korea and Japan, seems to link itself to the popularity of Maitreya worship at the time.
All these considerations put together: (i) that there is definite literary evidence at least from two Japanese sources, which say that the name Maitreya was applied to statues posed in meditation; (ii) that according to the writer there are newly discovered in China similar statues with the definite name of Maitreya; (iii) that the name of the "figure in meditation" is not enough to justify the abundant production of the said statues during the Six Dynasties and later periods--it would be both fair and safe, with our present knowledge of Buddhistic art in the Far East to call the said statues Maitreya rather than Shii-zo as was suggested by some scholars.
Lastly, in regard to the date of the marble statue of Maitreya in the collection of Marquis Hosokawa there are two different opinions; one setting it in the early period of North Wei and the other a great deal later, toward the end of the Six Dynasties. The latter opinion seems to have been based on the soft and delicate feeling appertaining to the statue, while in execution it is strictly entirely classic in the North Wei style. The present writer prefers the first view and gives to the statue the date between the early and middle of the North Wei, that is to say, about the beginning of the sixth century.
PORTRAIT OF THE BLOMHOFF FAMILY BY KEIGA KAWAHARA
Prof. KENJI MORIYA
The name of Keiga Kawahara was well known in the last century as the illustrator of the "Nippon", the author of which was Philipp Franz von Siebold to whom medical science in Japan was greatly indebted. Unfortunately the artistic career of Keiga Kawahara has been little known among scholars. We cannot in the present paper go into the matter, but instead will focus our attention on the comparative studies of three different portraits having the same grouping of figures in each of which the Blomhoff family including Captain Blomhoff appear. Two other portraits exist in which only part of the family-group is represented.
The first example (Pl. X i) to be introduced here is that which is possessed by the Library of the lmperial University of Tokyo. According to the records written on the case in which this picture has been kept the Blomhoff family came to Nagasaki in the first year of Bunsei (1818). To the Japanese people who were by the national policy of the time forbidden contact with foreigners it was a great surprise to see strangers from a different land whose appearances were so very unlike those of the Oriental people. It was this curiosity which impelled the local authorities to have the portraits made although the writer does not mention this fact. However, the record written on another example by the same artist (fig., p. 20), now in the possession of the Institute of the Compilation of the Historical Materials of the Imperial University of Tokyo, tells us that the family arrived at Nagasaki on the third of the fourteenth year of Bunka (1817) instead of the fifteenth year. The writer is inclined to agree with the former.
His family was forbidden by law to remain with Blomhoff and they had to leave Blomhoff alone in Nagasaki five months after their arrival, on the sixth of December of the same year. The portrait, therefore, if done from life, is considered to have been painted during their short sojourn in Nagasaki. In this portrait the writer draws attention especially to the silhouette-like effect.
In the opinion of the writer the figures in this work are painted with a certain degree of plasticity in color gradations. Furthermore, the facial expression of Blomhoff reveals his courageous spirit with which he was able to overcome the tribulations of the ocean voyage when he was in poor health and which enabled him to bear the sorrow of the coming separation from his family. How attractive is the innocence of the child in contrast to that of the colored maid from the South Sea. The rich color of the different textures are carefully worked out in detail which suggests, says the writer, that the present painting was not only made at the order of the authorities but was also the product of Keiga's artistic inspiration.
Whence came this inspiration? It seems to have been from the kagami-e or miniature brought over by the Dutch for Keiga was keenly interested in this kind of painting. Thus we see a strong intluence of the miniature in his work particularly in the present portrait of the Blomhoff family. It is interesting enough, however, to find that the works by this artist, beside the illustrations produced in printing methods, were done on silk generally in the usual Japanese pigments. As seen in this example his art is characteristically realistic in its representation of the objects, in strong contrast to the idealism of the religious painting of the Christian faith in Japan.
Last but not least is the painting (Pl. X ii) in the possession of Mr. Mo Ikenaga, which is mounted as a screen unlike the other two examples, and a bird's-eye view of Nagasaki is painted on the back of the same screen by Keiga. So far as the color scheme and composition are concerned we see little difference between this and the other two paintings but the sentence written above the figures is in Dutch and translated it says that this is the portrait of the Blomhoff family who arrived in 1818 A.D.
Beside those mentioned above there are some paintings on the same subject by different artists and they come under the same category as the one by Keiga which is in the Ikenaga collection. However, there is no other work which can be compared, for similarity. with, those of the collections of Ito and of the University Library both painted in terms of strict realism. The writer reasons thus: the realistic point of view was not fully realized especially in the art world at the time when the interests of the people were turned to science which was introduced by the Dutch for the first time in the history of Japan.
Pertaining to the foresaid three examples by Keiga Kawahara the writer believes that those in the possession of the University Library and Mr. Ito must have been executed from life while Blomhoff's family was domiciled in the foreign concession in Nagasaki, that is to say, between July and November of the fourteenth year of Bunka (1817). The other portrait owned by Mr. Ikenaga is believed to have been painted a year or two later.
Finally, regarding the seals of the previously mentioned three main works by Keiga the two seals of the artist shown in the right-hand corner of the one which belongs to the University Library are exactly the same kind as those (p. 21) seen in the picture owned by Mr. Ito. But unusual is the last example of the Ikenaga collection in which the facial expression, as well as the physical proportion, is influenced by the racial characteristics of the Japanese people. Furthermore, one of two seals of the artist (p. 24) is shaped like a tall silk hat with two chatracters read Keiga and the other one shaped like a palette is read as M E R Tojosky. Tojosky was the common name of Keiga, says the writer.
AUTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTS OF THE LIFE OF TESSAI TOMIOKA
REPRINTED FROM THE ORIGINAL MSS
With Comments by TARO ODAKANE
Tessai Tomioka was a celebrated figure in the School of Literary Men's Painting in modern times whose works were highly admired by Dr. Curt Glasser, German scholar of art history, when the latter came to Japan in 1911. Tessai was born in Kyoto in 1836. His family was wealthy enough until the decline of their fortunes which separated him from his family and he was obliged to stay in Rokuson-o Shrine. It was at this shrine that the foundation for his later profound knowledge of Shintoism was originally laid.
Then Tessai was left under the care of the famous poetess Rengetsu Otagaki, a nun; and he studied Japanese literature, Chinese classics and Buddhism under different scholars of the day. At this time he came into contact with a group of patriots.
In 1859, in travelling throughout the country, he went to Nagasaki for the first time. Later he was made the head priest of Otori Shrine of the city of Sakai where he remained five years.
After he returned to his native town, Kyoto, his fame as a scholar as well as artist gradually increased until, at his death in the same town in 1924 at the age of eighty-eight, he held the highest honors, namely, membership in the Imperial Academy of Crafts (1917) and the Imperial Academy of Art (1919).
As the work produced by the School of Literary Men's Painting was the result of the hobby of these men of letters Tessai had no teacher in his art but worked under the influence of the different artists of the School in his early years. His painting, however, is distinctive for its strong personal expression as well as for its deep tone of color; and one may also recognize the influence of old Chinese and Japanese masters.
Introduced in the Bijutsu Kenkyu, May 1937, are autographic documents of his life between 1873 and 1919 which are materials indispensable for the study of Tessai Tomioka.
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES
Pl. I Portrait of Aigai Takaku, by Chinzan (Japanese, 1801-1854).
Slight color on silk. (Color plate). Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 110.8 cm.; width: 48.5 cm.
Collection of Mr. Kitaro Otani, Shizuoka.
Explanation by Teizo Suganuma.
Chinzan's work is well known for its gracefulness but the present piece seems to be unusual because of its freedom and easiness in technique as well as its lifelike representation. Yet because of the successful treatment of the characteristics of the sitter this work by the same artist deserves to be called a masterpiece. The sitter, according to the words written on the sketch (fig., p. 45) for the present work, is a promising painter, Aigai, who probably died in 1843 at the age of forty-seven; Chinzan, it is believed, made this sketch two years later in 1845.
Pl. III & VII Maitreya.
White Marble. Height 63.6 cm. (75.7 cm. including the aureole).
Collection of Marquis Moritatsu Hosokawa, Tokyo.
(See the article by Prof. Yukio Yashiro)
Pl. III & VIII Maitreya.
Bronze. Height: 30.6 cm.
Yachu-ji Temple, Osaka.
Explanation by Teizo Suganuma.
The present statue became well known because of the excellence of the work as well as the inscriptions engraved around the base of the statue, telling that the present masterpiece of Maitreya was made in the fourth year of the reign of the Emperor Tenchi (666). The significance of this statue also lies in its recognition as a standard work among Buddhist statues of this kind (c.f., article by Prof. Yukio Yashiro in this number of Bijutsu Kenkyu).
Pl. IV & XI Landscape.
Color on silk. Mounted as one six-fold screen.
Height: 142.8 cm.; width: 40.6 cm. each.
Kongobu-ji Temple, Wakayama.
Explanation by Kisaku Tanaka.
A screen on which were mounted landscape paintings similar to those which are represented by the present work was used in the ceremony of baptism in Buddhism add remaining examples of this kind are limited to screens of like use. However, that does not mean that all screens which bore landscape paintings were used on the same occasion.
The present six-fold screen has three different scenes relating to Priest Kukai, the founder of the Shingon sect in Japan, each occupying two panels and on each a different poem (originally by Kukai) written in the right upper corner. Although the harmony of composition of these paintings, on the whole, is not outstanding among the very few remaining examples of old landscape paintings, the present screen is an important representation of the late Kamakura period.
Pl. V & XII Fishermen, by Ch'en Hsing (Chinese, fl. 1667).
Slight color on silk. Mounted as scroll.
Imperial School of Art, Tokyo.
Explanation by Tokuzo Masaki.
According to the date which is written in ink as well as the signature of Ch'en Hsing, the artist, in the left-hand corner on the top near the end of the scroll, the present painting was executed by him in 1667.
Unfortunately no dependable information on the life of Ch'en Hsing is known. To definitely attribute this work to a certain school of painting is most difficult as Chinese painting in its later development became extremely diversified especially after the close of the Ming period. As Ch'eng Hsing, however, is said to have lived in Chiang-su province his art may have belonged to one of the local schools in the southern part of China.
Further difficulties in the examination of the present scroll-painting arise in the complete absence of anything like a letter of appreciation, eulogistic poem or seals of the different owners of the picture, notwithstanding that these are quite common among Chinese paintings.
Pl. VI The Blomhoff Family, by Keiga Kawahara (Japanese, XIX century).
Color on silk. Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 53 cm.; width: 105 cm.
Collection of Mr. Chuko Ito, Tokyo.
(See the article by Prof. Kenji Moriya)
Pl. IX Avalokitesvara.
Bronze. Height: 35.4 cm.
Collection of Mr. Seiji Yamada, Kyoto.
Explanation by Tokuzo Masaki.
A glance at the general condition of the statue tells us that it was damaged by fire. Yet the impression which the charming expression of the statue gives leads us to imagine what the statue must have been previously when it was in good condition. Unusual is this type of statue, as exemplified by the present one, in the style of meditation with a small religious figure right above the forehead indicating the nature of the statue--Avalokitesvara. Concerning this point the reader will find further information on the article by Prof. Yashiro in the present number of Bijutsu Kenkyu. The thinness of the statue in casting is evidence of the technical skin. On the holes found on the base originally stood the aureole and a religious figure on either side of the present main statue. The present exponent sets the date of this statue near the beginning of the Hakuho period.
Pl. X (i) Dutch Captain and His Family, by Keiga Kawahara (Japanese, XIX century).
Color on silk. Mounted as kakemono.
Height; 56 cm.; width: 99 cm.
Library of the Imperial University of Tokyo.
(ii) The Blomhoff Family, by the same artist.
Color on silk. Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 68.8 cm; width: 85.7 cm.
Collection of Mr. Mo Ikenaga, Hyogo.
(See the article by Prof. Kenji Moriya)