BackNo.69
SEPTEMBER 1937
This summary is compiled by Mr. TAKASHI KATSUKI.
STUDIES ON THE "ARYACALANATHA WITH TWO BOY ATTENDANTS" BY CHUAN BONSHI
By JIRO UMEZU
Chuan Bonshi (b. 1346) was not only a Zen priest of fame in the Ashikaga period but was also a religious painter whose favorite subject matter was Aryacalanatha as mentioned in the old documents. As for his life very little is known. However, in taking the opportunity of examining his work the "Aryacalanatha with Two Boy Attendants" of Rokuoin temple, Kyoto, (Pl. V) the present writer desires to touch upon the life of the priest.
Since the Aryacalanatha faith was popularized by Chisho Daishi there were specialists who turned the same faith into artistic expression both in sculpture and painting. In the Ashikaga period the first to be mentioned is Ryoshu Shutaku (d. 1388). Shutaku is said to have painted one picture of Aryacalanatha every day for more than twenty years and the remaining examples attributed to him are often seen among various collections. They are painted either in ink or slight color in the style as seen in Plate VI in which the main deity is thanked by two boy attendants. It is singular enough to find that they are all alike in composition and technique.
In the same period are two other artist-priests, Chuan Bonshi and Bokudo Sojun (d. 1467). Of the art of the former only two or three examples are known--the pictures of Aryacalanatha owned by Rokuoin and others. Unfortunately, no example of the latter is known as yet although mention of his works is found in the old records.
On the upper part of each of the present works (Pl. V)--three pictures by Chuan Bonshi--there appears a religious note written by himself including the date of the thirty-second year of Oei (1425). The seal read "Chuan" is traced on the lower right-hand corner of the picture which represents Cetaka to the left of the central figure and the words found on the lower right-hand part of the central picture say that "This was painted by the old priest Chuan Bonshi at the age of eighty"
Should the present Aryacalanatha be compared with that of Henjokoin (Pl. VI) which is attributed to Shutaku (Myotaku) one might wonder if they were done by the same artist. According to the old records the Aryacalanatha pictures were often painted by a pupil of this artist by the name of Chuan except the eyes which were done by Shutaku himself at the last. This fact is attested by the Aryacalanatha pictures of Henjokoin in which the words "Myotaku painted the eyes" appear in the lower right-hand corner of the central picture and the date of the "first year of Kakei" (1387) in the religious note written on the same picture, both apparently done by the same hand which wrote the notes above each picture.
Who then is Chuan, the artist of the Aryacalanatha pictures of Henjokoin? If these pictures were painted by the same artist who did those of Rokuoin the artist would be the same person, i.e., Chuan Bonshi.
We are told that there were two others who went by the name of Chuan, who were the contemporaries of Chuan Bonshi and were also in close relationship with Shutaku. But their works lack evidence almost entirely.
Upon comparing the Aryacalanatha picture of Henjokoin with that of Rokuoin there is so much similarity that it seems as if both were made after a certain original work. In the former, however, strong brush strokes and shading in deep color are especially noticeable on the bases on which the figures stand. It is understood, as mentioned before, that the former was painted in the first year of Kakei (1387) thirty-eight years previous to the latter which was finished in the thirty-second year of Oei (1425). But, as a matter of fact, the latter work, that is to say, the Rokuoin picture is superior to that of Henjekoin in point of its artistic achievement.
If they were not the work of the same hand there should have naturally been more differences even in the copying of the same original work. Under these circumstances we can surmise that Chuan, assumed to be the artist of the Henjokoin Aryacalanatha, and Chuan Bonshi of the Rokuoin picture must have been closely related to each other, if not the same person, because these pictures reveal little difference in spite of the gap of thirty years in accomplishment.
How many Aryacalanatha paintings among those bearing the seal of Myotaku were actually done by Chuan, or Chuan Bonshi, if they are the same person, is a matter open to debate. Although it is difficult to say definitely we can imagine that quite a number of those bearing the written date of Myotaku in his late years were done by Chuan and to discriminate between those painted by Chuan and those by Myotaku would have been difficult probably due to the close similarities in them.
The records of the life of Chuan Bonshi which are found in the biographies of artists published in modern times are not dependable but he was made the ninety-sixth abbot of Nanzenji and the ninety-third of Kenninji, both in Kyeto, according to the religious documents. It has also become known in reference to the Rokuoin Aryacalanatha that he was born in the first year of Shohei (1346). Two or three old documents dealing with the life of the priest were discovered by the present writer but they lack the date of the death of the priest.
Another question presents itself--that of the motive from which Aryacalanatha took its artistic expression. It was, of course, based on the religious faith in Aryacalanatha at a time when the esoteric belief in Zen Buddhism permeated the religious life of the people. But, unlike the ordinary Buddhist painting, the Aryacalanatha was received as a kind of talisman and given to certain people, although the picture was copied as often as necessary to meet the demand and religious notes written on each picture repeated the same words or similar. It is considered, on the other hand, that they must have been the products of the artist who himself was an ardent believer in the same faith.
This period in which Aryacalanatha paintings were produced coincides with that of the rise of the Idealistic School of Painting in Japan under the direct influences of the Sung and Yuan paintings which were brought over from China. Therefore, we see a close resemblance between the present religious painting and those of the same school but they should be looked upon with a distinct discernment as the former is strictly religious while the latter is purely appreciative.
THE "MOTHER AND CHILD" ISSUED BY THE SOCIETY OF JESUS OF JAPAN
By TEI NISHIMURA
Printing by means of copper-plate engraving was made by the seminaries of the Society of Jesus of Japan for the first time in this country. The subject matter of the print is limited practically to religion, i.e., Christ, Madonna and disciples, and they were, of course, made after models which were brought over from Europe.
Studies on the publications by the Society of Jesus of Japan have been made public by many scholars here and abroad and the same applies to the copper-plate engravings. The present writer, therefore, desires to mention a few words about the latter previous to entering into the main discussion.
Examples to be seen among those published here are principally illustrations or pictures printed on the fly-leaf of religious documents and their size exceeds not more than 7.6 cm. in height and 6.1 cm. in width. The oldest fly-leaf example with picture of St. Peter and other disciples is attached to a religious book published by a seminary in Katsusa in Amakusa peninsula, Kyushu, in the nineteenth year of Tensho (1591) which is now in Bodleian Library of Oxford University. The next oldest to this is that also published in Amakusa, the following year--first year of Bunroku (1592).
The picture, as shown on the left on page eight, indicates the doubting Thomas examining the stigma on Christ, which is now in the Library of the University of Leiden. The technique is elementary but it retains qualities of naivety and innocence.
As related by Sir Earnest Satow in his books dealing with the publications by the Society of Jesus of Japan most of the latter works can be considered to have been done by the Japanese, judging from the style and technique employed. They were produced under the direction of European priests for religious purpose before the introduction of engraving by means of chemicals into Japan. But the practice was impossible until the printing machine was imported to this country in the eighteenth year of Tensho (1590).
Of the remaining examples of independent copper-plate printing in which Mother and Child are taken as the principal subject, however, we cannot consider all to have been produced by the hands of the Japanese although those made in book-form were done by the Japanese. So far as we know there remain only two examples which escaped destruction by the government in its attempt to stamp out Christianity, namely, the "Mother and Child" (Pl. VII i) and "Holy Family" (Pl. VII ii; cut p. 11, Detail), both now in the Oura catholic Church in Nagasaki. The former is considered to have been made in the first year of Keicho (1586) and the latter the following year (1587).
According to tradition these works were fomerly acquired by a Catholic missionary of Manila in the Philippines in 1869, taken to the Vatican by him and presented to the Pope Pius VIII. The Pope, however, considering that they should be preserved in Japan and inscribing a few words himself on the lower part of each print returned them to the missionary who sailed later for Japan.
The "Holy Family" as seen in the reproduction is badly defaced as the result of a flood from which Nagasaki destrict suffered sometime ago. In the foreground in front of the low dais on which the Holy family rests there may be seen the words, "In Semin lapp Ariye" and "1596." For this reason the picture has long been believed to have been printed in a seminary in Ariie village in Nagasaki Prefecture. The present writer, however, doubts this point because he discovered upon personal examination that these words were not printed but written by hand in ink. Furthermore. judging from the atmospheric quality of the work which is very sensitively expressed as well as from the highly advanced technique he is inclined to disagree with the general belief that it was produced in Japan.
How can it be explained? In the writer's estimation the inscription in Latin may have been written when the present work was copied by the students of the seminary of Ariie, including the inscription, so that their copies are identified as reproductions by the same seminary. The inscription, if not actually written by the Pope Pius VIII, at least appears to have been done by a westerner, even keeping to the same style in which the hymn in Latin shown above the figures was written. The material used is inferior to that which was being used at this time. Although the provenance of this work is unknown it must have been brought from abroad.
"Mother and Child," on the other hand, was apparently made by a Japanese, but the composition was adapted from a certain original European work. There is also an inscription on the lower part of the picture, ending with the words..."in Sem Iapo 1597." Accordingly, it was printed by a seminary in Japan in the second year of Keicho. The prototype of the present picture the writer believes must be the fresco (cut p. 14) of Seville Cathedral, Spain, although somewhat different and the direct model was issued by the printing office of the Society of Jesus in Antwerp, Belgium, which supplied religious matter extensively to Italy, Spain and even as far as the Spanish colonies in America. So far as we know the present print is the only extant example of the kind in Japan. Concerning the tradition that it was printed in Ariie there is neither positive nor counter-evidence.
There is, however, another piece with the same subject "Mother and Child" (cut p. 15) made by a Chinese artist by the name of Ch'eng Chu-fang at the request of the famous Catholic missionary Matteo Ricci. It originally belonged to a set of books in twelve volumes printed from wood-engraving instead of copper-plate and in which the stories of the New Testament as well as a religious treatise by Matteo Ricci are set forth. These books were published about 1607 and they are the earliest examples of the kind in China.
If compared with the Japanese "Mother and Child" (Pl. VII i) it may be seen that it was apparently made after the same Japanese reproductions in copper-plate. This fact suggests to us that there was interreligious communication between churches of the same faith of the two countries.
OLD RECORDS OF UCHIYAMA EIKYUJI TEMPLE
WITH COMMENTS by GISHO MORISUE
The manuscripts reprinted here consist of selections from two different kinds of old records dealing with the buildings and sculptures of Uchiyama Eikyuji in the mid-Kamakura period. Uchiyama Eikyuji is said to have been founded in Nara in the Eikyu era (Ills-1117) and flourished during the ensuing Kamakura and Ashikaga periods under the supervision of Kofukuji, Nara, until the temple was finally destroyed. Unfortunately, the records cannot be summarized here but they are recognized, on the whole, as invaluable materials concerning matters in the middle ages. These old records are now treasured in private collections.
EXPLANATION OF THE PLATES
Pl. I (Color plate) & VIII Tosotsuten Mandara.
Color on silk. Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 175.5 cm.; width: 120.5 cm.
Enmyoji Temple, Osaka.
Explanation by Masuto Toyooka.
The present Tosotsuten Mandara is registered as a National Treasure as is that of Koshoji, Kyoto, and it is considered one of the most representative works of this kind among those remaining today. Painted beautifully in gold, blue, green, white and black it represents the dwelling of Maitreya Bodhisattva in the celestial world according to the Miroku Josho-gyo in which the faith in Maitreya is taught. The foreground of the present picture is made highly decorative with different designs in gold leaf although they are more or less exfoliated. The figures of Bodhisattvas and other heavenly beings are drawn with scrupulous minuteness, but lack vitality. The technique employed in representing the architecture and trees is somewhat after the traditional manner. Despite these facts the high spot of the present work is its gorgeous color scheme.
As for the date of this painting the present exponent places it somewhere around the end of the Kamakura period, certainly no further back than that. This work is not original but probably a copy of a certain work of the same period.
PI. II Bhaisajyaguru.
Sculpture in dry-lacquer.
Height: 73.4 cm.
Kozanji Temple, Kyoto.
Explanation by Tokuzo Masaki.
The present Gakko statue, one of two attendant Bodhisattvas of Bhaisajyaguru, originally belonged to Kozanji, Kyoto. Another one of the two attendant Bodhisattvas is now owned by the Imperial Household Museum of Tokyo and only the main deity remains in the same temple.
They are made of dry-lacquer over a wooden framework and embellished with gold leaf. The two attendant Bodhisattvas are slightly higher than the main deity, but the stately pose makes up for its shorter stature and well balances the attendants. The style and arrangement of the present Bhaisajyaguru triad--the main deity seated, and two attendants seated each with a leg crossed--are not only unusual in Japan but also the decreasing production in this kind of material after the Nara period gives further importance to these famous extant examples.
The damaged example belonging to the Art School suggests to us that the statue has a wooden framework inside consisting of several different parts: head, shoulders and arms, trunk, and legs above and below knees (cut p. 30). The advanced workmanship displayed in building this statue in such a way convinces us that the present work was made in the later period in the development of dry-lacquer sculpture. Further evidence may also be seen in the treatment of the draperies peculiar to Japanese sculpture at the beginning of the Heian period although it is not as pronounced as yet. Furthermore, the general impression of the statue is not one of the mysterious heaviness of the Heian period but rather of the affluent freedom of the Nara period. Under these circurnstances the present commentator desires to set the date of this statue at the end of the Nara period.
Pl. III Nikko Bodhisattva.
Sculpture in dry-lacquer.
Height: 78 cm.
The Imperial Household Museum of Tokyo.
(See the article by Tokuzo Masaki on Pl. II)
Pl. IV & IX Gakko Bodhisattva.
Sculpture in dry-lacquer.
Height: 75.8 cm.
The Imperial School of Art, Tokyo.
(See the article by Tokuzo Masaki on Pl. II)
Pl. V Aryacalanatha with Two Boy Attendants, by Chuan Bonshi (Japanese, b. 1346).
Slight color on silk. Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 110 cm.; width: 38.7 cm.
Rokuoin Temple, Kyoto.
(See the article by Jiro Umezu)
Pl. VI Aryacalanatha with Two Boy Attendants.
Slight color on silk. Mounted as kakemono.
Height: 114 cm.; width: 42.5 cm.
Henjokoin Temple, Wakayama.
(See the article by Jiro Umezu)
PI. VII (i) Mother and Child.
Engraving on copper-plate.
Height: 21.1 cm.; width: 14 cm.
Oura Catholic Church, Nagasaki.
(See the article by Tei Nishimura)
(ii) Holy Family.
Engraving on copper-plate.
Height: 25.2 cm.; width: 17 cm.
Oura Catholic Church, Nagasaki.
(See the article by Tei Nishimura)