Dobrovits Aladár szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 1. (Budapest, 1954)

Idegennyelvű kivonatok

Notes on Japanese buddhist paintings and sculptures ' Fujiwara and Kamakura period Zoltán F. Takáts The Japanese Buddhist art objects published in my present paper were collected in the Far East in the first decade of our century by the late Mgr. Vay de Vaya for the Hungarian Fine Arts' Museum of Budapest. They were transmitted to the Francis Hopp Museum of Eastern Asiatic Arts in 1919. Some of them illustrate the doctrines of the Shingon, some other ones those of the Jödö sect. A Tendai-picture is also to be found among them. — Also to the tculptures — unfortunately in timeworn state — we mention here a Shakyamuni-or, judjing from the seemingly original mudras, a Maitreya (Jap. Miroku Bosatsu) — (Fig. 14.) sitting in Dhyanasana. The hands, having partly gone, were completed. The right one is in Abhayamudra, the left one in Dhyanamudra. The whole figure, originally covered with pure gold foil, is now much darkened. This image in the style of Jôchô is, in all respects near to thi great Master. Its qualities are considerable. —- The Fudö (Fig. 2.), possibly of the age of the famous Fudö of the Toji Monastery — Kyoto, does 'not show the great fury of later images of this deity of the Kamakura age. The oldest picture we have (Fig. 15.) is also a production of the Fujiwara age. It unites thirteen figures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, viz.: Kokuzo, Amida, Ashuku, Dainichi, Seishi, Kwannon, Yakushi, Fugen, Jizo, Miroku, Monju, Shakya and Fudö, protectors of the soul of the dead, thus being hung out during the. ceremony celebrated for the salvation of dying Shingon monks. It is in a very bad condition, but the remains show some impulsive suggestive bruswork. A portrait of Vajrabodhi Jap. Kongöchi Sanzö — founder of the esoteric Mikkyo Buddhism, is a copy from the Chinese painter Li Chen of T'ang. (Fig. 16.) The picture suffered very much, unfortunately mostly the masterly drawn head of the person represented. The nationality of the painter is still an open question. (Fig. 5a.) It could be Chinese or Japanese as well, who worked either in the tenth or the eleventh century. It was first overpaintd, then shortened inorder to mount it for framing. Consepuences of the restorations re visible mostly in the red paint, except on the lips where epimicroscopical investigation showed some different chrystallisecl material. —• A much darkened portrait of Tendai Chisho Daishi (Fig. 18.) is traced in strongly disciplined thin outlines. The extremely delicate brush work in ink and gold, as well as remains of kirikane, gilding the structure of wood on the estrade of the seated Patriarch, relate much of the lost excellent qualities of the picture. We also publish a picture of the Five Great Vidyarajas (Jap. Go Dai Myôô) — (Fig. 19.) -f- representing the doctrinal angry appearances of Mahavairocana, Akshobya, Ratnasambhava. Amitabha and Amogasiddhi in the forms of Acala, Trilokyavijaya, Kurdali, Yamantaka, Vajrayaksha (Fudö, Gözanze, Gundary, Dai-Itoku, Vajrayaksha). The sitting figure of Fudö occupies the centre, those of the Bodhisattva-forms of the other four Dhyanibuddhas the four corners. The original Chinese conception treated in the Ninnô-ky5 Mandara was brought to Japan by Köbö Daishi in A. D. 806 and copied reputedly by Jókai (1075—1149). (Kokkwa No. 363, III.) Our picture, which is time-worm too, shows in its small size very serious qualities enabling us to guess, in last instance behind its extremely correct calligraphic lineament, a splendid Chinese original conception. — The Vajrasattwa image published here as Fig. 20. is in our opinion of the Tokugawa period. Its importance lies not so much in its artistic value than its being a representation of the real Bodhisattva form of the Primordial, Self-created Adibuddha after the Trikaya system of the Mahayana. — On the other hand a partly retouched and by humility damaged image of Amida (Fig. 21., on paper) is a true representation of the Jödö conception of Amida of the Kamakura age. It is not only impressive, but is, even in its conception, a deeply ripened representation of a Buddha. The masterpieces nearest related to it are the ..Buddhas behind the Mountains" of Zerinji and Konkaikömiöji. 12* 179