Characteristics and Functions of the decor motifs at Buddhist Stupa of the Liao, Jin and Koryo Dynasties

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24520113
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Aesthetics/Art history
• Research Institution: Kanazawa College of Art
• Principal Investigator: MIZUNO Saya 金沢美術工芸大学, 美術工芸学部, 准教授 (10384695)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 遼塔 / 金塔 / 仏頂勝尊陀羅尼 / 舎利 / 荘厳 / 全身舎利経

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The adornments of buddhist stupas of the Liao dynasty and the Jin dynasty have decor motifs, for example, the Buddhas(including the Vairocana), the Eight Great Bodhisattvas, the Eight Great Stupas, he remaining four carry hymns of Sakyamuni's.
Large numbers of precious Buddhist relics, among them a printed copy of the sutra and a pillar inscribed with the Usnisavijaya-dharani, were discovered in the palaces of Daves and in the underground part of Northern Stupa at Chaoyang. Liao- and Jin-dynasty stupas also contain verbatim passages of the same dharani. Also, the intricate relationship between sarira offerings and the practice of copying the Usnisavijaya-dharani as a wey of gaining religious merit is significant. I argue that the motifs adorning Liao- and Jin-dynasty stupas visualize that relationship.

Free Research Field

仏教美術史・東洋美術史