Encounters with Buddhist Art

The Buddhist stature and other artworks in Japan have a history going back to the early seventh century CE, when Buddhism was brought to the country from the Asian continent. The methods and motifs of the artform underwent several shifts in early centuries before the sculptor Jōchō brought it to a peak of native Japanese refinement in the late Heian period. Buddhist sculpture continued to evolve thereafter, notably in the hands of the Kamakura period master Unkei. In this series, a specialist in Buddhist studies and art sets forth the details that will deepen observers’ understanding of these religious art masterpieces, accompanied by photographs by Muda Tomohiro.

(Photo: Close-up of a bronze image of a standing bodhisattva in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum. © Muda Tomohiro.)