Understanding Japanese Buddhist Sculpture
through Visual Comparison
A beginner’s guide to appreciating Buddha statues from a whole new perspective.
This book presents different perspectives and steps from other guide books to help reader go one step further when appreciating Buddha statues. For example, readers get an eye opening point of view by comparing two Buddha statues (the same icon from a different eras), and observing them from all 360 degrees, which is something that not many books have done before. 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.
- Size:240 × 165 mm/9.4 × 6.5"
- Pages:128 pages (Full color)
- Binding:Softbound
- Publisher:PIE International
- Language:J/E Bilingual
- ISBN:978-4-7562-5238-8
- Author:Yoshihiro Suzuki
If you are living outside of UK, please check the distributor/bookstore who covers your country.
Jun/2020 release in the US/Europe