A general study of the blocks and the blockprints of the Omuro version of twin mandalas in Ninna-ji

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18333
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 1:Philosophy, art, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Mori Masahide 金沢大学, 人文学系, 教授 (90230078)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 御室版 / 版木 / 印刷技術 / 仁和寺 / 階明寺 / 曼荼羅 / 密教図像

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Omuro version of the twin mandalas (Omurohan-ryobu-mandarashu) is a printed material of the Vajradhatu (Kongokai) and Garubhodbhava (Taizokai) mandalas published at the beginning of the Meiji era. It consists of more than three hundred blocks for printing depicting all the deities of the twin mandalas. This study is proceeded in the following four steps: 1) collecting the image data of the blocks of Omuro version, 2) comparative analysis of the blocks and the several versions of the blockprints, 3) study of the background of the Omuro version, 4) discussion of the preservation and the utilization. The very first version was reproduced in 2024 for the purpose of easy access by the researchers. The full report including all the image data of the blocks, general introduction of the Omuro version, discussion of the production, comparative studies of the blocks and several versions, will be published in the future.

Free Research Field

美術史　インド学仏教学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

御室版両部曼荼羅は空海がわが国にもたらした請来本の流れをくむ曼荼羅集として、つとに名高い。金剛界と胎蔵会の両界曼荼羅の基本的な画像として、研究者はもちろん、一般の人々のあいだにもその図像は広く知られている。仁和寺に残るすべての版面の版木は、曼荼羅の研究資料として第一級の価値を持つ。今回の研究において、版木そのものの詳細な分析と、初版本および複数の再版本の比較考察を実施し、その全体像を明らかにしたことは、日本の曼荼羅研究において画期的な意味を持つ。それに加え、資料の保全と活用までを視野に入れたことで、文化財の保護対策に関しても一定の貢献をなす。