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Wood Types and Material Selection for Japanese Wooden Statues

Research Project

Project/Area Number 11610065
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Fine art history
Research InstitutionTokyo National Museum

Principal Investigator

KANEKO Hiroaki  Supervisor, Programming, Planning and Development, Tokyo National Museum, 企画部・事業課, 事業課長 (90110098)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) IWASA Mitsuharu  Chief Curator, Japanese Sculpture, Japanese Fine Arts, Curatorial, Tokyo National Museum, 学芸部・美術課, 彫刻室長 (10151713)
Project Period (FY) 1999 – 2002
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2002)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Keywordswooden statues / wood types / material selection / Torreya nucifera / Santalum album / haku / wooden frame in dry lacquer statue / wooden frame in clay statue / 8・9世紀の木彫像 / 乾漆像 / 塑像 / 白檀の代用材 / 神楽 / 神仏習合 / 醍醐寺 / 聖宝 / 十一面観音像 / 天神の本地仏 / 立川不動尊 / 霊木信仰 / 木心乾漆像 / 木心部 / 一木彫の成立 / 天福寺 / 観世音寺 / 薬師寺 / 聖林寺 / 一木彫 / 広葉樹 / 針葉樹
Research Abstract

We showed in the first report that, while Cinnamomum camphora was the basic material for wooden statues in the 7th century, statues of the 8th century were made not of Chamaecyparis obtusa, but of Torreya nucifera contrary to former reports. The selection of Torreya nucifera as the material for statue sculpturing was explained as follows.
In ancient India, Santalum album(白檀) was prized. But, in China where Santalum album does not grow, "haku"(栢) was selected as the substitute for Santalum album during the Tang Dynasty. This selection must have been introduced into Japan when Ganjin(鑑真) came to Japan in the 8th century. In Japan, however, Torreya nucifera was regarded as "haku" as first as the early half of the 8th century and must have been selected as the substitute of Santalum album.
In the present report, we studies statues ranging from in date the Nara to the early Heian Periods, including not only those made of wood but also dry lacquer and clay works with a wooden frame inside. For statues made from one timber, the major type of this period, Torreya nucifera was selected not only in the Kinki District , but in other districts where the tree was available, irrespective of statue size or sculpturing style. In areas where Torreya nucifera did not grow or were few, such as the Tohoku District, other trees such as Zelkova serrate was employed. For statues of the other types, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Zelkova serrate, and Paulownia tomentosa were selected. Thus, dry-lacquer and clay statues were made under a different intention from one-timber statues. The present results of timber selection denied the theory that one-timber statues of the Nara and Heian Periods derived from wood-base-dry lacquer statues by thinning the lacquer layer.

Report

(5 results)
  • 2002 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 2001 Annual Research Report
  • 2000 Annual Research Report
  • 1999 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (3 results)

All Other

All Publications (3 results)

  • [Publications] 金子啓明, 岩佐光晴, 能城修一, 藤井智之: "日本古代における木彫像の樹種の用材観II-八・九世紀を中心に"MUSEUM. 第583号. 5-44 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Kaneko hiroaki, Iwasa Mitsuharu, Noshiro Shuichi, Fujii Tomoyuki: "Wood Types and Material Selection for Japanese Wooden Statues of the Ancient Period, II(Particularly of the 8^<th>-9^<th> Centuries)"MUSEUM. No.583. 5-44 (2003)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      2002 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 金子啓明, 岩佐光晴, 能城修一, 藤井智之: "日本古代における木彫像の樹種と用材観II-八・九世紀を中心に-"MUSEUM. 第583号. 5-44 (2003)

    • Related Report
      2002 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1999-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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