Understanding Japanese Buddhist Sculpture Through Visual Comparison

Book excerpt: A beginner's guide to appreciating Buddha statues from a whole new perspective. This is a ground-breaking guide book focusing on how you can receive a stronger impression when appreciating Buddha statues. People tend to look at the sculptures absentmindedly, experiencing the statues as a confirmation of the information they read or heard before. This way of viewing tends to quickly diminish the impression of the art work. But how can we deepen our impression and excitement towards each Buddha statue? This book presents different perspectives and steps to help reader go one step further when appreciating Buddha statues. For example, readers are invited to compare two Buddha statues (the same icon from a different eras), and observing them from all 360 degrees. Comparing the statues like this reveals the subtle differences of style, such as proportion, mass, atmosphere, movement, drapery, posture, modeling, and contour, gradually making readers understand the characteristics and trend of eras and the manner of the carvers. Also, while other guide books tend to focus on academic facts and trivia, this book leans more towards the works' style and beauty. This book is for those who are interested in appreciating Buddha statues but don't know how to, and for those who can feel the magnificence of the wonderful piece of art but don't know how to delve deeper. No special background information is necessary to appreciate Buddha statues. With this new point of view presented by Yoshihiro Suzuki, an honorary member of the Nara National Museum, who now gives lectures in Japan on how to appreciate Buddha statues, readers will be able to see Buddha statues from a whole new perspective and spend a more fulfilling time in museums. Readers will surely be intrigued by the deep world of Buddha statues. This book collects many national treasures and important cultural properties such as the Standing Kongo Riksihi statues in the Nandaimon gate at Todaiji, the Seated Chogen Shonin (Todaiji Temple, Nara), the Standing Mujaku Bosatsu (Asanga Bodhisattva) and Senshin Bosatsu (Vasubandhu Bodhisattva), and the Standing Demons Tentoki and Ryutoki.