Sculpture in the Far East

Nature is alive and continually moving, controlled and governed by an unerring law of rhythm, and when man’s creative genius gives form, shape and material expression to it, it becomes sculptural art.

The material may be stone, wax, metal or wood–and it is generally of minor importance–but what is of vital value is this rhythmic significance of form which a sensitive artist is able to reveal in his great works.

China, India, Korea and Japan have produced in the past striking masterpieces of sculptural art which are still the admiration of the world. Indian sculptors have worked wonders on stone; Chinese bronzes are marvels of perfect craftsmanship and artistic skill; and Japanese artists are such supreme masters in wood-work that they carved a giant Buddha with as much ease and delicate finish as they did the petal of a flower or the wings of a bird.

Japan is a vast store-house of sculptural masterpieces. Its museums and temples present a rich and varied collection: works of masters of the Suiko Period (A.D. 552-645); the Nara Period (A.D. 646-793); the Heian Period (A.D. 794-893); the Kamakura Period (A.D. 1186-1333); and the Muromachi Period (A.D. 1334-1573).

The Suiko Period represented the classical age of Japanese art, and was distinctly Indian in inspiration but with characteristic Chinese and Korean influences. This was but a preparatory and transient stage, and in the Heian Period it was perfected.

The Kamakura Period, like the Gupta age in Indian history, marked the highest development of Japanese sculptural art. The art of the Suiko Period was spiritual and symbolic while that of the Kumakura age was more realistic and representational. Therefore the Kamakura sculptors excelled in figure carvings and portrayal of movement and action.

In the Muromachi Period we see a gradual decline in the idealistic nature of Japanese sculpture, and more and more portrait sculpture coming into vogue. This was due to the development of Zen Buddhism in Japan, which emphasised the importance of individual mind and personality. Technically it was inferior to the previous schools, having lost the strength and dignity of the Suiko style and the delicacy and refinement of the Kamakura sculptures.

One of the finest examples of the Suiko Period sculpture is the statue of Maitreya (formerly known as Nyoirin-Kwannon) in the nunnery of Chugu-ji in Horyuji near Nara. This image is carved in wood and is attributed to Prince Shotaku, the Asoka of Japan. It is still in a well-preserved condition and is undoubtedly one of the greatest works of art of any age or people.

The nobleness of this statue cannot adequately be described. In the gently modulated face there is unlimited wisdom and feeling and it shines with dignity and benevolence. Realistically speaking, it has a well-proportioned body and hands, and the fingers are beautifully executed.

The figure is seated on a lotus-pedestal, with the right foot over the left knee, in meditative posture, the right elbow gently resting on the left knee, and the middle finger touching the chin, to suggest deep contemplation. The knotted hair on the top of the head and the lock of hair drooping over the shoulder are stylistically treated. The expression of the face is gentle, calm and compassionate, with a smile around the eyes and mouth.

The Kudara Kwannon of Horyuji is another fine masterpiece of similar type, but the greatest and the most beautiful of the sculptures of this period is the Seikwannon of the Yakushiji temple in Nara.

In the Kamakura Period, Japanese sculpture began to break away from both Indian and Chinese influences and take a definite national character, and a beautiful example of the art of this period is ‘Jizo,’ the Bodhisattva of Mercy, to be seen in the Joshinji temple at Omi. He is sculptured in both sitting and standing postures, with a clean shaven head, a tilak on his forehead, a radiant face, loose flowing robes, a pilgrim’s staff in his right hand and a round jewel on the palm of his left hand, suggesting the riches of bliss, mercy and wisdom.

The most famous and conspicuous work of art of this period is the well-known bronze image of Amida Buddha (Dai Butsu), at Kamakura. measuring 50 feet in height and seated on a lotus-pedestal, with perfect repose and a calm and serene expression, as beautiful as any in India or Ceylon.

The Zen Buddhism was not only prosperous but was also extremely powerful during the Muromachi Period, and consequently we see a large number of Zen priests’ portraits in sculpture, mostly of wood, treated in a realistic manner.

The figures are usually seated cross-legged on a high seat, with a staff in the right hand, or hands held together palm upwards, and the priestly robes hang down over the knees, flanked by long loose sleeves. The statues represent the actual features and character of those priests.

Animals, birds, flowers, creepers and even mythological creatures have received considerable attention at the hands of these artists, and some of the finest examples of wood-carving of this kind are to be seen in abundance in almost all the ancient Buddhist and Shinto temples of Nippon. They are gorgeously coloured and are amazingly true to life and nature.

An ancient tradition has it that it was a Chinese saddler in exile, one Shiba Tatto, who taught the Japanese the art of image making, and his still more famous grandson Tori, in time, became the earliest teacher of this art in Japan. Since then hundreds of great masters have risen in that land and enriched the art of their country, Unkei and Kawaikei of the Kamakura Period, and Inshin and Injo of the Muromachi Period being the best known and most prominent among them.

Japanese sculptors excel Indian masters in the representation of facial expression, but they are far behind the Indian sculptors in representing energy, movement, power or action. In the field of spiritual representation in sculpture, the Japanese artists of the early centuries were no less gifted or inspired than the sculptors of India, and, in spite of the obvious national and other local differences, there is a close affinity and spiritual kinship between the arts of these two countries.