BackNo.91
JULY 1939
HISTORICAL STUDY ON SHOGUN-JIZO
BY GISHO MORISUE
According to a buddhistic doctrine, Ksirigarbha (Jizo) appears in six worlds and smooths away human suffering into blessing. For this divine effect it has been widely worshipped in Japan, and there remain not a few artistic works of it at present. Among them the writer publishes in this article his studies especially on Shogun-jizo, a special manifestation of the deity, which was produced comparatively late and which is said to have a miraculous power to give worshippers the victory in war. The writer tells the origins of this budd-histic image and traces how it has come to be worshipped, referring to various ancient records. His conclusion may be summarized as follows:--
In some record it is said that the image, of Shogun-jizo was first produced in the ages of Enryaku (782-805 A.D.) and was enshrined in Kiyomizudera Temple. Another legend tells, however, that it was primarily the principal image of Atago Shrine in Yamashiro near Kyoto. But above all supposition it may be safest to conclude its origin in the later ages of the Kamakura period, when it was imported into Japan from China together with Rengesanmai-Sutra. As there exists no such sutra at present, we can not see what is its principal theory and how it reters to Shogun-jizo. Unlike the ordinary figure of Jizo, Shogun-jizo wears an armour with swords, a bow and arrows etc., and with such armoured costume it displays almighty power. The secret how to celebrate this unusual image of Shogun-jizo has been instructed in the temples of Shingon-Sect.
As for distinguished worshippers of this deity in old days, we can count Takauji Ashikaga, the first Shogun of the Muromachi era. He, devoting himself to it, enshrined it not only in his family temple, Tojiji, in Kyoto but in many other temples, sometimes even himself painting its figure. After him many Muromachi Shoguns in following generations celebrated Shogun-jizo in their family temples to recompense their previous sins or to pray for blessings: so far there was no particular differentiation of Shogun-jizo from the ordinary Jizo.
It seems that this deity became the object of special worship for warlike victory since the age of Muromachi Shogun IX Yoshihisa. Before he went to battle at Omi, he celebrated the Shogun-jizo of Tojiji Temple and prayed for the divine favour. Even at the front this Shogun had a little image of it with him as his guardian. Ever since the image of Shogun-jizo has come to be venerated widely by warriors not only in the capital but even in the remote countries.
As for its figuration, Shogun-jizo wears an armour with swords, holding a bow and arrows, a sickle, a banner etc. as mentioned above, but there are many exceptions, for instance, wearing a crown as is seen in the Shogun-jizo of Tojiji Temple or in that in the iconographical scroll of Kwanchiin Monastery (see the illustration on page 15), or riding on a horse such as found in later works. We find not a few examples of the latter kind and they are very interesting showing the change of the Shogun-jizo's figure in course of time.
EDOARDO CHIOSSONE AND HIS WORKS IN JAPAN (PART I)
BY KENJIRO KUMAMOTO
We can count several Italian artists who came to Japan at the beginning of the Meiji period, being invited by the Japanese Government to give guidance to the fine arts of the country which was opened to the Western culture after the Restoration (1868 A.D.). About Vincenzo Ragusa, sculptor, the writer of this article has published his study already in the Bijutsu Kenkyu No. 68. Now he writes on another Italian artist, Edoardo Chiossone who came to new Japan to teach the art of printing.
Edoardo Chiossone was born on the twenty-first of January in 1832 at a little town called Arenzano not far from Genoa. At his fifteenth year he entered Accademia Ligustica di Belle Arti and studied printing. In his early twenties he got already the fame of a genius in printing; he made reproductions in metal-plate of famous paintings as well as many copper-plates of his own. He acquired in 1869 the membership of Accademia at Milan
Besides studying art, he worked for the National Bank of Italy in printing bank-notes. In the course of time he was dispatched by the bank to the Dondorf Company at Frankfurt A.M. in Germany to study new technique of printing. This gave him the chance of coming over to Japan later: namely, the Japanese Government, who had several times ordered the Dondorf Company to print government-notes, decided to bring special printers to Japan to produce notes at home, and Chiossone was chosen. He arrived at Japan in January of the 8th year of Meiji (1875 A. D.) with two other printers.
In the Printing House of the Japanese Government, he printed stamps, licences, bank-notes etc., using new processes unknown to the country at the time. From this time until his retirement in the twenty-fourth year of Meiji (1891 A. D.) all the goveenment and bank notes of Japan were produced under his direction. The illustration No. 2 on page 23 is the first bank-note printed in Japan by Chiossone, and No. 3 on the same page shows the government-notes also printed by him.
Besides engraving and printing, Chiossone revealed his talent in portraiture. Portraits of Toshimichi Okubo, Tsugumichi Saigo and other prominent personalities of the time were drawn by him and made into copper-plate prints or steel-plate prints. It is worthy of mention that there are among them portraits of the members of the Imperial family, such as of the Emperor Meiji and of the Crown Prince; those of the Emperor were produced in the twenty-first year of Meiji (1888 A. D.) both in formal dress and in military uniform, the latter of which was made into steel-plate print after several years.
On May of the twelfth year of Meiji (1879 A. D.) he started for a several months' tour, accompanying Ryosuke Tokuno, the head of the Printing House, studying ancient art of the country. As being a rare chance for him to see masterpieces of Japanese art which were most difficult to see, this was really a remarkable event both in his life and also in the history of art-investigations in Japan. Photographs and sketches taken and drawn by him at the time were made into lithographs print and published by the government, some of which were later displayed at the International Exhibition in Boston, U. S. A.
For his great contributions for the development of Japanese art he was awarded of decorations and nominated to membership of many artistic organizations. He was also honoured by the Italian Government for the bequest of his collection of Japanese art to a museum in Italy which is named after him. (P. S. Explanations of his works will be put in the next number where the second part of this article is to be published.)
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES
Pl. I (Colour) "Portrait of Confucius."
Colour on silk. Kakemono.
Height: 89.2 cm.; width: 43.5 cm.
Collection of Mr. Yukihiko Yasuda, Kanagawa.
Following the custom of China, the celebration of Confucius so-called "Sekiten" has been observed in Japan from very early times, and for the use in this celebration the portrait of the sage has been painted since the Nara period although, however, very few of them survive. The one contained in the "Iconography of Sages" in the collection of the Imperial Household Museum, which is signed by Gensho-about the Kyuan to Genkyu period (the latter part of the 12th century)-seems to be the oldest work remaining now, but as for the portrait regularly painted on silk, there is no other work which can be compared in antiquity and in artistic value with the present piece possessed by Mr. Yasuda. The inscription on the portrait seems to have been composed by a Japanese. This picture has rather an antique appearance. Technically the lines are fluent and strong, and in simple colour-scheme gradation in tone is much used. Considering these points which still reflect the style of the Fujiwara period, we attribute the present painting to the earlier part of the Kamakura period and place it in close connection with the Genesho's work in point of date.
Pls. II & III "Landscape (The River Hozugawa)," by Okyo.
Slight colour on paper. A pair of screens.
Height: (each) 154.5 om.; width: (each) 482.7 cm.
Collection of Mr. Sozaemon Nishimura, Kyoto.
This pair of screens "Waterfall" and "Stream" are both eight-folded. We find on them the painter's signature and the date, June of the seventh year of Kwansei (1795 A.D.). From the fact that he died in July of the same year, we may consider them to be his last great works.
Okyo, the founder of the Maruyama school, must have grasped the essence of drawing Japanese landscape from nature. In the present works his genius is fully displayed with the most accomplished brushworks. As for the composition, such river-landscape must have been his great favourite, for almost the same composition is found in the wall-painting of Kotohira Shrine in Kagawa which had been painted by him in the previous year. (See the Bijutsu Kenkyu No. 23.) The present screens are chiefly painted in ink but we find wash of colours and of some gold very effectively added here and there. The vivid delineation of rocks and of flooding stream is especially remarkable. It is not sure whether he really described the River Hozugawa or not in these works but certainly he must have taken the subject from a landscape near Kyoto.
Pls. IV & IX "Birds and Trees," by Shen T'ien-jang.
Slight colour on paper. Kakemonos.
Height: (each) 173.0 cm.; width (each) 82.3 cm.
Collection of Mr. Kimpei Takeuchi, Tokyo.
Shin T'ien-jang was born in Wu-hsing of Chekiang in China. He is generally known by his azana or familiar name of T'ien-jang. Chia-ch'ien, Yun-t'ing, and Shin-keng are his pen names. He was not popular in China as well as in Japan but we have some interest in his work for he was a nephew of Shen Ch'uan who came to Japan and gained high fame.
Of the two paintings here represented, one is "Hsi-ch'iao and an Oak-Tree" and the other, "Hawks and a Pine-Tree." They are chiefly drawn in ink but there are added slight colours to help the effect. With strong brushes they are drawn firmly and, we can say, are much like Shen Ch'uan's works in technique.
On the painting of "Hawks and a Pine-Tree," the painter's signature and the date, August, 31st year of Ch'ienlung) are written; which was just thirty-five years after Shen Ch'uan's arrival at Japan. This pair of Shen T'ien-jang's paintings were probably produced when his artistic work had matured.
Pl. V "Apsara."
Wooden statue.
Height: 68 cm.; breadth 65 cm.
Collection of Mr. Inosuke Setsu, Tokyo.
This is a wooden statue of Apsara of about 70 cm. high. As being carved in flat, relief-like style, it is considered to be a figure placed on the halo of some big statue. Though a part of the fluttering veil and a part of the drapery covering the left leg were repaired later, the features and the main part of the body have been well preserved, even retaining some traces of original gold-leaf on the knee. The date of its production seems to belong to the Fujiwara period.
The new attempt of carving Apsara on the halo of a buddhistic image was originated, according to tradition, by the famous buddhistic sculptor Jocho (d. 1057 A. D.) and ever since such halos with flying angels have been produced in quantity: there are preserved not a few Apsara statues of this kind besides the present work. However, it is not known to what buddhistic image this Apsara statue originally belonged, but seeing the graceful beauty of this statue, we can easily imagine how gorgeous the main figure must have been.
Pl. VI (1) "Portrait of Takamori Saigo," by Chiossone (Italian 1832-1898).
Crayon on paper.
Height: 52.5 cm.; width: 40.2 cm.
Collection of Marquis Jutoku Saigo, Tokyo.
(2) "Portrait of Toshimichi Okubo," by the same painter.
Crayon on paper.
Height: 50.5 cm.; width: 38.8 cm.
Collection of Marquis Toshitake Okubo, Tokyo.
Pl. VII (1) "Portrait of Tsugumichi Saigo," by the same painter.
Crayon on paper.
Height: 56.0 cm.; width: 43.0 cm.
Collection of Marquis Jutoku Saigo, Tokyo.
(2) "Portrait of Ryosuke Tokuno," by the same painter.
Crayon on paper.
Height: 40.1 cm.; width: 30.1 cm.
Collection of Mr. Ryosuke Tokuno, Tokyo.
PI. VIII (1) "Toshimichi Okubo," by the same painter.
Copper-plate print.
Height: 51.5 cm.; width: 39.5 cm.
Collection of Marquis Toshitake Okubo, Tokyo.
(2) "Sanetomi Sanjo," by the same painter.
Steel-plate print.
Height: 54.5 cm.; width: 40.0 cm.
Collection of Mr. Hakutei Ishii, Tokyo.
(3) "Tomomi Iwakura," by the same painter.
Steel-plate print.
Height: 54.8 cm.; width: 40.8 cm.
Collection of Marquis Koichi Kido, Tokyo.
(4) "Koin Kido," by the same painter.
Steel-plate print.
Height: 51.5 cm.; width: 39.5 cm.
Collection of Marquis Koichi Kido, Tokyo.