Buddhist stone statue is one of the most revered sculptures in the world. In Japan all kinds of Buddhist statues are referred as “Butsuzo”. Besides stones, one can also make bodhisattva statues out of wood, metal and clay. However, most of the Buddhist stone statues are associated with the tranquil and soothing image of the lord. One can find various postures in a Buddhist stone statue. The reclining postures and meditation posture is the most common of all the postures that one may find in a Buddhist stone statue.
The art of making a Buddhist stone statue was adopted by the Japanese sculptures around 794 AD. Stone was not readily available in Japan during that time. Hence most of the Buddhist stone statues in Japan were brought from China and India. The Heian Period for the first time saw the growth of stone sculptures in vast parts of Japan. By 1185, the Kamakura Period had already arrived in Japan. A number of Buddhist stone statues were constructed during this time. More than 60% of the Buddhist stone statues were constructed during this time.
Various Types of Buddhist stone statue
A Japanese Buddhist stone statue can be broadly categorized into two types, Magaibutsu and Sekibutsu. Magaibutsu Sculptures can be noticed in caves, mountain cliffs and large rock outcrops. Sekibutsu ion the other hand are independent and free standing Buddhist stone statues. These Buddhist stone statues can be easily moved and carried from one place to the other.
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The Magaibutsu Buddhist stone statue are commonly found inside the cave temples. Stone cliffs and large chunks of stones were usually sued for the construction of Magaibutsu. Chunks of stones were intricately carved to give shapes to tales found in the Buddhist Scriptures. The engraved lines on the sculptures give them the required finesse necessary for a Buddhist stone statue. One can easily spot some of these Magaibutsu Buddhist stone statue in Japanese museums and Buddhist temples. These specimens of Buddhist stone statue are usually quite huge to be removed by man. |
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Most of the Japanese Magaibutsu Buddhist stone statues are found in the Kunisaki Peninsula. Sekibutsu on the other hand are stand alone individual pieces of Buddhist sculpture. These items can be easily noticed at curio shops and temples. One can also notice Sekibutsu Buddhist stone statue in the museums of Japan.
Ganzo Buddhist stone statue are also an important part of Buddhist stone statue. These high relief Buddhist stone statues are of extreme importance to Buddhist religion. Besides stone, one can also make Ganzo Buddhist stone statue from wood, stone and metal.
Log on to buddhistsculptures.com to know more about Buddhist Sculpture in Japan.
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