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Japan’s temple art travels for exhibit
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FOR Chinese who travel to Kyoto, the Daigoji Shingon Buddhist temple is a must-see. But only those who plan ahead and make a reservation far in advance get a chance to see the beautiful Buddhist sculptures and carvings inside.
Now, the journey can be cut by a flight to Japan, as the exhibition “Art in the Collection of Daigoji Temple” is bringing some of the work to Shanghai Museum.
The exhibit that marks the second time the collection has left its native country, following a stop in Germany, features nearly 64 artworks on loan from the Daigoji. Thirteen of them are considered national treasures in Japan.
Located in southeastern Kyoto, Daigoji Temple was founded in 874 AD by a monk named Shobo, posthumously known as the Great Master Rigen.
As the main temple of the Daigo branch of Shingon Buddhism, Daigoji is not only an important landmark in Japanese Buddhist history, but also played an important role in the eastward transmission of Buddhism and the cultural exchange between ancient China and Japan.
The temple contains about 150,000 pieces of esoteric Buddhist art, including paintings, sculptures, metal works, lacquer ware and architecture.
A total of 69,420 pieces are considered national treasures and 6,522 pieces are considered important cultural heritage.
In 1994, the temple was listed as one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
“Due to the material limitations, Japanese Buddhist art is usually made of wood and paper. Except for some rare cases, sculptures are made of wood, as bronze and stone resources weren’t easy to get in Japan,” says Yang Zhigang, director of Shanghai Museum. “Buddhist paintings, sutras and historical records usually take paper as the medium. Although it’s fragile, paper is still more durable than silk.
“Architecture was made of wood as well. Thanks to the dedication of monks of many generations, the fragile yet precious artworks in Daigoji is well preserved,” he adds.
To perfectly showcase the charm of the Buddhist art, the exhibition hall of the museum has been designed in a wood architecture style with dim light. The seated, perfectly preserved statue of great master Kuhai greets the visitors by the entrance gate.
Besides the Buddha statues, the paintings displayed at the exhibition are also impressive. One shows Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-98), who was a preeminent diamyo, warrior, general, samurai and politician of the Sengoku period and is regarded as Japan’s second great unifier. He financed the construction, restoration and rebuilding of many temples in Kyoto. It is said that he organized the appreciation of sakura at the Daigoji.
Date: Through July 10, 9am-5pm (no admission after 4pm)
Venue: Shanghai Museum
Address: 201 People’s Ave
Tel: 6372-3500
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