The Genealogy of Buddha Images: From Gandhara to Japan - Facial Representation and the Historical Evolution of the Magnificent Suspended Canopy Seat

Author: (Japanese) Murata Yasuko, translated by Jin Shen
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-08-01
Features: This book is based on seven articles published in the magazine "Monthly Cultural Treasure," sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Japan, from June 1989 to December 1990, and was revised. In May 1995, it was compiled into a single volume and published by Daito Shuppan. To date, it has sold 92% of its print run in Japan. Overall, it is impossible to fully trace the genealogy of Buddha statues based solely on "formal expression," which is why this book primarily focuses on important facial features and the kanshōzaisu (hanging robe seat). This is also a distinctive feature of the book. There are already many comprehensive surveys of general Buddha statues, but this book naturally begins with Japanese Buddha statues, exploring the origins of ancient statues with kanshōzaisu. The book introduces the birth of the Buddha and the origins of Buddha statues; Gandhara; India; Afghanistan; the Han Chinese regions of China; the Korean Peninsula; and Japan.