Jakabffy Imre szerk.: Az Iparművészeti Múzeum Évkönyvei 13. (Budapest, 1971)

HOPP FERENC MÚZEUM - MUSÉE FERENC HOPP - Horváth, Tibor: Notes to the Iconography of the White-robed Kannon

Kannon, 31. Füni-Kannon (Kannon the Supreme). '.VI. Jiren-Kannon (Kannon holding a Lotus). 33. Shasui-Kannon (Kannon sprinkling Waler). The ahove 33 Kannon paintings can he classified in various ways. The easiest way is to separate the standing Kannnns from the silling ones. The former are fewer in number — twelve altogether (Gyoran-Kannon, Suigctsu-Kannon, Enmei-Kannon, Ruri-Kannon, Tara-Kannon. Roku ji-Kaniion. I* uhi-Kannon. Barnfii-Kannon. (iasshoKannon, Funi-Kannon, Jiren-Kannon and Shasui-Kannon). The following silling Kannons have I lie greatest similarities in certain details to the museum's painting of Kannon: S. Takinii-Kan

non. The seal on the rock and the right arm supporting the body arc similar: but the actual silling position is different for in the Bulsiizo-zii kan illustration the left leg is hanging down. Kannon is pictured here with a halo round his head and the head scarf is missing. 20. Asoku-Kniinon. The seal on the rock is similar in our picture to the iconographical model, although ihe latter pictures a flal rock beside the water in contrast to the projecting rock in the hillside. The stream springing from the hillside is similar, except thai here it flows into a sea. The head scarf placed over the tall hair style is also the same. The silling position, however, is different, for here the left leg is pulled up and both hands are resting on the knee. But neither of these examples help to bring about a more exact identification of the Kannon painting in ihe museum. Furthermore one of the important details of the museum's picture, namely the overhanging shrub on ihe hillside, has been omitted from the iconographical classification, except perhaps for the painting of Kannon with Sutra. From the lisl of silling Kannons, not including ihe picture of Kannon watching the Waterfull, the rock jutting oui from the hillside can be found In the following illustrations: .11. Seizu-Kannon ("Blue-headed" Kannon), 19. Nojo-Kannon (The Kannon of Fulfilled Tranquillily!. 21. Amadai-Kmiimn and 22. Yoe-Kannon (Kannon in a Robe of Leaves). The more relaxed silting posture and the position of the bands occur in most of the Kannon pictures In this group, which means that in the case of this group of 33 Kannons a freer method of painting has developed than in the earlier and basically Indian i con og ra p h y

. There is another way of classifying the silling Kannons and thai is by separating the Kannons who are looking at something from those, who for example, are holding something or have a vase of willow tree branches or other branches beside them. The following pictures would belong here: 8. Takimi Kannon (Kannon watching the Waterfall), which has already been mentioned, 12. Suigetsu-Kannon (Water and Moon Kannon) and 20. Asokii-Knnnon. with bias also been mentioned above. All these classifications only give a rough indication of where the museum's Kannon picture should be placed in the group of 33 Kannons. The 32 Kannon pictures of Kancho-ji (Kamakura). Before answering the question of the extent lo which the ink painting of Kannon follow ihe iconographical specifications, we must find out whether there were other well-known or earlier iconographical handbooks, apart from the above mentioned Butsu/.o Zukan. In the literature at my disposal, I found only one — Butsuzo Zui. which was published in 1090 in five parts

9 with outline drawings by Tosa Hidenobu 9 A reference to it by Dietrich Scrhrl. ( '.ruml/.iige der buddhistischen Malerei. Tokvo, 1945, 110.