In the mid-6th century, the introduction of

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

from Korea (

Baekje Baekje or Paekche (, ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BC to 660 AD. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. Baekje was founded by Onjo, the third son of Goguryeo's founder Jum ...

) to Japan resulted in a revival of

Japanese sculpture Sculpture in Japan began with the clay figure. Towards the end of the long Neolithic Jōmon period, some pottery vessels were "flame-rimmed" with extravagant extensions to the rim that can only be called sculptural, and very stylized pottery dog ...

. Buddhist monks, artisans and scholars settled around the capital in

Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, the ...

(present day

Nara Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama P ...

) and passed their techniques to native craftsmen. Consequently, early Japanese sculptures from the

Asuka Asuka may refer to: People * Asuka (name), a list of people * Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler * Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan Places In Japan * , an area in Yamato Province (now ...

and Hakuhō periods show strong influences of continental art, which initially were characterized by almond-shaped eyes, upward-turned crescent-shaped lips and symmetrically arranged folds in the clothing. The workshop of the Japanese sculptor

Tori Busshi Tori Busshi (止利仏師; トリ・ブッシ) was a Japanese sculptor active in the late 6th and early 7th century. He was from the ''Kuratsukuri'' (鞍作, "saddle-maker") clan, and his full title was Shiba no Kuratsukuri-be no Obito Tori Bussh ...

, who was strongly influenced by the

Northern Wei Wei (), known in historiography as the Northern Wei (), Tuoba Wei (), Yuan Wei () and Later Wei (), was founded by the Tuoba (Tabgach) clan of the Xianbei. The first of the Northern and Southern dynasties#Northern dynasties, Northern dynasties ...

style, produced works which exemplify such characteristics. The Shakyamuni triad and the Guze

Kannon Guanyin () is a Bodhisattva associated with compassion. She is the East Asian representation of Avalokiteśvara ( sa, अवलोकितेश्वर) and has been adopted by other Eastern religions, including Chinese folk religion. She w ...

Hōryū-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is , or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as both a seminary and monastery. The temple was ...

are prime examples. By the late 7th century, wood replaced bronze and copper. By the early

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

, greater realism was expressed by fuller forms, long narrow slit eyes, softer facial features, flowing garments and embellishments with ornaments such as bracelets and jewels. Two prominent examples of sculptures of this period are the Shō Kannon at

Yakushi-ji is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan, and was once one of the Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples of Nanto, located in Nara, Nara, Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddh ...

and the Yumechigai Kannon at Hōryū-ji. During the

Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the cap ...

, from 710 to 794, the government established and supported workshops called zōbussho, the most prominent of which was located in the capital

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year ...

, which produced Buddhist statuary. Clay,

lacquer Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...

and wood, in addition to bronze, were used. Stylistically, the sculptures were influenced by the high Tang style, showing fuller body modelling, more natural drapery and a greater sense of movement. Representative examples of Nara period sculpture include the Great Buddha and the

Four Heavenly Kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist gods, each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. In Chinese mythology, they are known collectively as the "Fēng Tiáo Yǔ Shùn" () or "Sìdà Tiānwáng" (). In the ...

at Tōdai-ji, or the

Eight Legions The Eight Legions ( sa, अष्टसेना, ; 八部衆) are a group of Buddhist deities whose function is to protect the Dharma. These beings are common among the audience addressed by the Buddha in Mahāyāna sūtras, making appearances ...

Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school. History Kōfuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 b ...

. Early

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

works before the mid-10th century appear heavy compared to Nara period statues, carved from single blocks of wood, and characterised by draperies carved with alternating round and sharply cut folds. Stylistically, they followed high to later Tang style. In the Heian period the zōbussho were replaced with temple-run and independent workshops; wood became the primary medium; and a specific Japanese style emerged. By the mid-10th century, the style was refined presenting a more calm and gentle appearance, with attenuated proportions.

Jōchō Jōchō (定朝; died 1057 AD), also known as Jōchō Busshi, was a Japanese sculptor of the Heian period. He popularized the '' yosegi'' technique of sculpting a single figure out of many pieces of wood, and he redefined the canon of body propo ...

was the most important sculptor of this time, and he used the ''yosegi'' technique, in which several pieces of wood are joined to sculpt a single figure. He was the ancestor of three important schools of Japanese Buddhist statuary: the , Inpa and Keiha school. The Amida Nyorai at

Byōdō-in is a Buddhist temple in the city of Uji in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan, built in the late Heian period. It is jointly a temple of the Jōdo-shū (Pure Land) and Tendai-shū sects. History This temple was originally built in 998 in the He ...

is the only extant work by Jōchō. Japanese sculpture experienced a renaissance during the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

, led by the

Kei school The was a Japanese school (style) of Buddhist sculpture which emerged in the early Kamakura period (c. 1200). Based in Nara, it was the dominant school in Buddhist sculpture in Japan into the 14th century, and remained influential until the 1 ...

. Partially influenced by

Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...

China, their sculpture is characterised by realism featuring elaborate top knots, jewelry, and wavy drapery. Although predominantly wooden, bronze was also used as a material for the statues. As a novelty, portrait sculptures of prominent monks were created adjacent to the depiction of Buddhist deities. The term "

National Treasure The idea of national treasure, like national epics and national anthems, is part of the language of romantic nationalism, which arose in the late 18th century and 19th centuries. Nationalism is an ideology that supports the nation as the fundame ...

" has been used in Japan to denote cultural properties since 1897. The definition and the criteria have changed since the inception of the term. These sculptures adhere to the current definition, and have been designated national treasures since the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties came into force on June 9, 1951. The items are selected by the

Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology The , also known as MEXT or Monka-shō, is one of the eleven Ministries of Japan that composes part of the executive branch of the Government of Japan. Its goal is to improve the development of Japan in relation with the international community ...

based on their "especially high historical or artistic value". This list presents 140 entries of sculptures, including those from Classical and early Feudal Japan of the 7th-century

Asuka period The was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 (or 592 to 645), although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period. The Yamato polity evolved greatly during the Asuka period, which is named after t ...

to the 13th-century

, although the number of sculptures is higher, because groups of related sculptures have sometimes been joined to form single entries. The sculptures listed depict Buddhist and

Shintō Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintoist ...

deities or priests venerated as founders of temples. Some of the most ancient sculptures were imported directly from China.

Statistics

Various materials have been used for the sculptures. Although most are wooden, 12 entries in the list are bronze, 11 are

, 7 are made of clay and 1 entry, the Usuki Stone Buddhas, is a stone sculpture. Typically

hinoki ''Chamaecyparis obtusa'' (Japanese cypress, hinoki cypress or hinoki; ja, 檜 or , ) is a species of cypress native to central Japan in East Asia, and widely cultivated in the temperate northern hemisphere for its high-quality timber and orname ...

, Japanese nutmeg,

sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for us ...

and

camphorwood ''Camphora officinarum'' is a species of evergreen tree that is commonly known under the names camphor tree, camphorwood or camphor laurel. Description ''Camphora officinarum'' is native to China south of the Yangtze River, Taiwan, southern ...

were the woods used for the wooden sculptures. Wooden sculptures were often lacquered or covered with gold-leaf. The smallest statue measures around , whereas the Great Buddhas of Nara and Kamakura are about and high. The objects on the list are located in Buddhist temples, or in museums associated with temples. Some items are located in shrines, as well as in secular museums.

is home to the largest number of National Treasure sculptures, with 77 of the 140 entries. Together with the 41 entries located in Kyoto Prefecture, they constitute the bulk of sculptural National Treasures.

and

are the locations with the most entries, with 18 and 18 designations respectively. National Treasures of Japan (sculptures)

Usage

The table's columns (except for ''Remarks'' and ''Pictures'') are sortable pressing the arrows symbols. The following gives an overview of what is included in the table and how the sorting works. *''Name'': name as registered in th
List of National Treasures
*''Remarks'': placement of statues (as a group, separately,...) and artist (if known) *''Date'': period and year; The column entries sort by year. If only a period is known, they sort by the start year of that period. *''Material and technique'': wood/bronze/..., lacquered/colored/...; The column entries sort by the main material (stone/clay/wood/lacquer/bronze). *''Pose'': standing/seated Amida Nyorai/Yakushi Nyorai/...; The column entries sort by the name of the principal image or as "set" in the case of sets of sculptures that don't fall under a common group name. *''Height'': height in cm; The column entries sort by the largest height if an entry is a group of statues. *''Present location'': "building-name temple/museum/shrine-name town-name prefecture-name"; The column entries sort as "prefecture-name town-name temple/museum/shrine-name building-name". *''Image'': picture of the statue or a characteristic statue in a group of statues

Treasures

Takatsuki, Shiga was a town located in Ika District, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 10,411 and a population density of 368.27 persons per km2. The total area was 28.27 km2. On January 1, 2010, Takatsuki, alon ...

Kwannondo Temple Eleven-Head Kwannon (278)

, - , , Statue of

Mii-dera , formally called , is a Buddhist temple in Japan located at the foot of Mount Hiei, in the city of Ōtsu in Shiga Prefecture. It is a short distance from both Kyoto, and Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. The head temple of the Jimon sect ...

's guardian deity ,

, 11th century , Colored wood and cut-gold foil () on wood , Seated , , ,

Ōtsu 270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Ōtsu is ...

, - , or , ,

, 9th century , Colored wood , Seated Chishō Daishi (

Enchin (814–891) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who founded of the Jimon school of Tendai Buddhism and Chief Abbot of Mii-dera at the foot of Mount Hiei. After succeeding to the post of Tendai , in 873, a strong rivalry developed between his followers ...

) , , ,

, , - , or , ,

, 10th century , Colored wood , Seated Chishō Daishi (

) , , ,

Sculpture of Chishō Daishi (Chūson Daishi)

, - , , ,

, beginning of 8th century , Gilt bronze , Seated Shakyamuni (

Shaka Nyorai Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...

) , ,

Hon-dō Main hall is the building within a Japanese Buddhist temple compound ('' garan'') which enshrines the main object of veneration.Kōjien Japanese dictionary Because the various denominations deliberately use different terms, this single English t ...

, ,

Kizugawa, Kyoto is a city located in southern Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It is the southernmost city in the prefecture and it is named after the Kizu River, a tributary of the Yodo River, which runs through the city. Kizugawa City is a part of the Kansai Science ...

, - , , ,

, second half of 8th century , Wood-core dry lacquer (), gold leaf over lacquer () , Standing Jūichimen Kannon , ,

, ,

Kyōtanabe, Kyoto is a city located in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. As of October 1, 2020 the city has an estimated population of 73,753 and a population density of 1,718 persons per km². The total area is 42.92 km². History Kyōtanabe wa ...

, - , , Important sculpture of early

Esoteric Buddhism Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

. Formerly enshrined in a mountain top butsu-dō ,

(between 851–859) , Wood ,

Statistics

Usage

Treasures

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links