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
The subject of the picture. The name usually given when referring to similar paintings is Kannon, or While-robed Kannon'. The Kannon in our painting is situated in the axis of the picture and. disregarding his tall headdress, is exactly in the centre. Mo is silling directly on a projecting rock on the side of a hill, with no cushion of gathered leaves, nor any other kind of support. Silling securely on his crossed legs, he is leaning slightly forward, resting on his right arm. with his hand concealed in the long, flowing sleeve of his robe. Mis left hand is lying on his thigh. Mis lace is round and has feminine-like Features and the sign of the urna is visible on his forehead. Me is looking down as if he were watching the path of the stream as il winds its way down the hill and occasionally falls from one projecting rock lo another. Apart from the upper pari of his chest, he is completely enveloped in the robe. Underneath, on his breast, an ornamented underdress or piece of jewellery can be seen. Very little of Ins hair, which has been combed into a lall bun and decorated with a diadem, is visible beneath his head scarf. The sleep hillside above Kannon. will) the intricate, overhanging branches of a shrub, is probably some distance away. In comparison with other, similar depictions of Kannon, the dimensions of our painting are longer and narrower. This points to the probability that the composition had to be adapted to Iii in wilh ihe given shape of the scroll. A further observation can be made, namely thai our painting was either originally composed for one particular place, or that it was subjected to a change in the shape of the pictures of Kannon in general. A closer study of our Kannon picture could bring a solution to ihe question of whether the painting was composed, according lo the instructions of certain iconographical writings or by closely copying various models, or whether it was a freer version. Before going into any detail, we must mention thai the so-called White-robed Kannon was one ol the most frequent themes lor ink painting from ihe beginning ol the Muromachi Era. In the bsl of Kannon paintings we find a series of 33 pictures. In more recent groupings, and in the Iconographical I handbooks they appear in the following order 8 : I. Yoryu Kannon (Weeping Willow Kannon). 2. livuzii Kannon (Kannon of ihe Dragon). .'1. Jikyo Kannon (Kannon with Sutra). 4. Enko Kannon (Kannon with a Bound Male). 5. Yuge Kannon (Kannon travelling on the Sky), (i. Byakue Kannon (White-robed Kannon). 7. Benga Kannon (Kannon silling on a Lotus). 8. Takimi Kannon (Kannon watching the Waterfall), 1). Seraku Kannon (Kannon giving Happiness). 10. Gyoran Kannon (Kannon with fish). II. Tokuo Kannon (Kannon the Prince of Benevolence), 12. Suigetsu Kannon (Water-and-Moon Kannon). 13. Ichiyo Kannon (Kannon sitting on a Leaf). I 4. Seizu Kannon ("Blue-headed" Kannon). 15. Itoku Kannon (Majestic Kannon). 10. Enmei Kannon (Kannon the Prolonger of 6 Matsushita Takaaki, Suiboku ga, Nihon no Bijutsu, nr. 13, 67 5, 1967., fig. 41. ' cf. e. g.. Matsushita Takaaki. Suiboku Painting of the Muromachi Period, Vol. I. Tokyo, pis. 1 and 100. In ihe latter, Kannon is depicted in a standing position, crossing the water on a lotus leaf, with a rosary in his hand, which is concealed in the sleeve of bis robe. The leaf-like shape of the halo is Very striking. According to the iconographical handbooks, as for example the Shin-san Butsu/.o Zukan, Tokyo, 1031. .Ii no kan. 182. fig. 217: Buri Kannon. — Matsushita Takaaki, Suiboku ga, fig. 42 (Byosen), 43 (Mincho), 130 (Noami), 141 (Isshi's work): the painting is a variation of Iwalo Kannon. fig. 143. the work of Sekkyakushi, Enmei Kannon? and fig. 144 of Boisai. 8 Butsu/.o Zukan, Tokyo, Bukkyo Tosliokan Kokai, 1932, ,li no kan, 171—190. Similarly: Kannon no shirube, edited by Mivamori Akihiko and Knnvu Bvotalsu. Tokyo, llakuju-sba, 1970.
