A Halo of 7th century Japan
Abstract.
Patterns on halo of an Avalokitisvara(7th century) in Horyu-ji ,the most distinct among halos in ancient japan. It inhelits B.C. - A.D.5th century chinese patterns. IntroductionDiscovery
In 1879, Kakuzo Okakura(Tensin) and Ernest Fenollosa visited the octagonal
hall in Horyu-ji monastery (Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan) as goverment
agents.
They search and list the artifacts in temples and monasterys in Nara-city
and outskirts.
In the hall, a wooden sculpure of Avalokitisvara was saved and
no one can see the satatue for centuries(Really even a vice director of
the monastery wrote "No one see it. Its shape is unknown" in about AD 1238).
500metres white cloth
rolled the statue and saved in a large woooden alterpiece-container
at the center of the hall. The container was made in 18th century.
When two scholars opened the container, monks escaped, since
a legend said that this monastery will collapse when the
statue appears.
Okakura and Fenollosa discovered the best condition wooden life-size
statue of Avalokitisvara in 7th century after removing
the 500 meters cloths.
This is a legend. Some postulate that other scholars discovered it already.
Now, this statue is in the container. It was usually closed. In May and November that is opened. Since there is(forbidden) any lump, appreciating isn't easy. I appreciated in May/1999. I felt it more elegant than I had felt many pictures(colour/monochrome).
Data of the statue
Kannon Bosatsu(Avarokitisvara) known as Guze-kannon. 7th century. National Tresure. Single wood block. 179.9cm height. gilt.The crown is gilt bronze openwork with semi-precius stones. Flame of the MA-NI symbol on the hands is gilt bronze. A halo is a single wood block.Halo and its rubbing
I discuss only patterns of its HALO.
It is gilt wood, hight 123cm, single woodblock.
Any photograph shows little of its quality, because gold was partly worn down
and gold glittling weaks the engraved lines.
Only this old rubbing shows beuty of engraved lines.
This plate was reduced from a good colotype reproduction of the rubbing
,
Ref.1
.
I feel its rubbing is very rare, perhaps unique, since it is
dangerous to make rubbing on ancient gilt wood and
the monastery should not permit it.
Moreover, it needs to part the statue to make rubbing of the halo,
for the halo is attached to its head with a short shaft.
Only a powered scholar with government authority or a staff of the
monastery could do it before 1930s. Ref.2 suggests Dr. Amanuma had it.
Pattern
Halo reliefs comprises 5 bands separated by simple positive lines.- 1st. Center Lotus
- 2nd. 6 Dragons spiral pattern
- 3rd. Disc pattern
- 4rh. Palmets
- 5th. Flames and a tower
Lotus and 6 dragons
1st lotus part is small.
It was common to set a lotus at center both on halo.
2nd band is very interesting. It is spiral dragons pattern. Dragon shapes are modified to decorative lines. 6 units are linked. Some might feel it celtic. This inherits very old tradition (B.C.4th century). e.g. this mirror backing design, although 4 gragons link in this mirror. Not to say, this halo lines are more fluent than the ancient design.
This 6 dragons remind me a part of a long verse by Li-Po(AD8th century) :"6 dragons surrounding sun" in "Schzuan-Road". A comment shows this myth " Sun god drives a chariot with 6 dragons" should be far old than Li-Po, at least early Han-dynasty(BC2th century), because a fragment of "I-Nang Chi"(a book compiled in BC 2th century) shows the myth. In ancient china such Central Lotus symbolizes the SUN. I feel that this 1st and 2nd band present "6 drangons surrounding the sun".
Mirror and format of halo
Comparing with back ornament reliefs of ancient chinese mirror, ancient japanese and chinese halo might copy chinese mirror ornament design. This is a rubbing of B.C.4th century mirror back. Indeed mirror and halo is different, both refrect and symbolize light and same pattern could have applied. Mirrors theirself were used in buddhist temples before 12th century. I suppose that band-construction of halo and of mirror could share a same origin.
Palmet
Do they actually mean fire flame?
It is strange that sacred image is in fire. Indeed deities representing
rage and power have had fire flame halo after 8th century, it is
considerable, but quiet and meditative images is in fire, too.
I want to set a hypothese.
I suppose that this could be emanutio/explosion of energy which
ancient chinese called "Ki" and represented as cloud patterns.
Before AD 3th---B.C.4th century
Chinese ancient deities often accompany such energy cloud.
As an example this painting on back of lid of a bronze wine vessel. It
shows a sacred bird in energitic cloud.
This concept had 5-8th century chinese feel natural that saint images
should emit energy flares.
A Gandahra sculpture in Musee Guimet, Paris, spouts
flames upwards and water downwards. Such icon might have been a trigger
to draw frame pattern in halo, but it is not reason why it became very
popular in 5-8th century chineses. Moreover flame images in halo
are rare in India.
References
7-8th century japanese ancient arts
often use palmets, but this is rigorous and matchless pattern.
Although palmets have hellenistic origin, they might directly have travelled
from Korean peninsula.
This Kogryo(Northen Korea) tombs(ca. A.D.600) fresco has nearest palmets.
This is Nai-li 1st Tomb's near Pyongyang. This is more similar than
many chinese stone cave ornament palmets.
Contemporary similar halo
A similar halo is in Tokyo National Museum. 18.1cm height,
gilt bronze openwork. It was stored in the Ho-ryu-ji until 1874, and
transfered to The IMPERIAL HOUSEHOLD, and now is exhibited there.
(Ref.3, 4). This outer band pattern likes the wooden halo.
Shape of flames are identical. A tower with 3 ornamental top poles is, too.
The central part is different. This date is regarded as 7th century.
Therefore, the wooden halo isn't unique. At that time, such
compositions might be a little popular. This wooden halo just overcomes
the other. I suppose that this might be a model/textbook
for others.
Tower and Lotus Sutra
At the top of 5th band, a tower/pavillon with 3 poles is engraved.
There are another examples which has this strange tower.
Right Fig. is a bronze reliefs plate in Hase-dera temple in Nara, Japan.
It was dated in AD686.
Height 91cm.
It is a scene in Chapter 12th of Lotus Sutra(Suddharma Pundharika Sutra).
A tower appeared from earth and an ancient buddha ( who was teaching far
before the real buddha) admires modern buddha from the tower.
Since this dramatic scene is very popular among chineses, many tower images
were made.
Such tower is seen in Yung Kang Cave 6th cave(AD 5th century), too.
This reliefs
is identical to the bronze plate. In Norten Wei period,
Many small gilt bronze images survived, which have a tower with buddha images. On these examples, I think the tower image of the halo should be
a tower in Lotus Sutra.
Flames in Halo
5th band represents strong and rythmic flame pattern.
Former gilt bronze halo
likes it, but this is sharper.
I show two examples of flame pattern in 5-6th century, china.
This gilt bronze statue(Fig.13)
Ref.
was in Japan until 1987, and is in Taipei National Museum
44cm height. ca. AD 480-490. One of typical masterpieces of Nothen Wei
gilt bronze statue.This frame pattern is strong enough to match
the wooden halo, but its style is different. A little rectangular.
Other small gilt bronze statue(Fig.14) is in Tokyo National Museum,
This is an Avalokitisvara dated AD 542. Eastern Wei dynasty.
This curling flame pattern likes the 5th band.
It is reason that AD 542 is nearer to early 7th century when Ho-ryu-ji
statue should have been made.
Meaning of Flame pattern Halo in 5-7th century.
Flame pattern is commom in halos from the 5th-8th century buddhist images
in china. The Horyu-ji halo succceds such trend.
That Northen Wei gilt bronze image
is a typical example.
