|
Chūgū-ji
is a temple in Nara Prefecture, Japan, that was founded as a nunnery in the seventh century by Shōtoku Taishi. Located immediately to the northeast of Hōryū-ji, its statue of Miroku and Tenjukoku mandala are National Treasures. History Chūgūji was once the palace of Hashihito, mother of Shōtoku Taishi. After her death it was converted into a temple. It was restored and converted to a nunnery by the nun Shinnyo in the late Kamakura period. Originally standing three hundred metres to the east, it was moved to its present location in the Muromachi period. Chūgū-ji is one of three nunneries in Yamato whose chief priestesses were imperial princesses. The site of Chūgū-ji has been designated a Historic Site, and the Edo period Omotegomon has been registered as a cultural property. Miroku Bosatsu The camphor wood statue of is a National Treasure dating from the Asuka period. Formerly painted, it is finished in lacquer. Tenjukoku Shūchō Mandala After the death of Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shinnyo
was a Japanese Buddhist nun in the 13th century who was largely responsible for the restoration of the Chūgū-ji temple in Nara Prefecture. Biography Shinnyo's father was a poor scholar named Shōen. Shōen had written a Buddhist commentary titled ''Rokuchō no meimoku'', which was the only thing of any value he possessed; after his death, Shinnyo and her sisters were able to make a living by charging scholars to view his work. The proceeds allowed Shinnyo sufficient leisure time to study Buddhism, and she became well-educated in Buddhist doctrine, composing a number of commentaries and studying under the monk Ze-Amidabutsu. In 1243, the priest Sōji submitted a petition to his uncle Eison, the founder of the Shingon Risshu sect, requesting that the Chūgū-ji temple be revived as a nunnery; Eison chose Shinnyo to head this project. The following year, Shinnyo decided to seek full ordination as a nun, an honour that had not been granted for several hundred years. She approached ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tenjukoku Shūchō Mandala
The ''Tenjukoku Shūchō'' Mandala is a Japanese work of textile art. It is the oldest known example of embroidery in Japan, dating back to 622 CE. It was created in honour of Prince Shōtoku, one of the earliest proponents of Japanese Buddhism. Creation In the ''Jōgū Shōtoku Hōō Teisetsu'', it is recorded that Tachibana no Ōiratsume, one of the widows of Prince Shōtoku, commissioned the mandala after her husband's death, to represent the heavenly realm to which he had departed so that she could envision his afterlife. The artwork was created by maidservants of the Imperial Court, with the permission of the Empress Suiko. The original was stitched in silk on a series of large square curtains, approximately across, but only a small portion of this, measuring approximately by , still survives. Replica and current version The mandala is held at the Nara National Museum, but remains the property of the Chūgū-ji temple in Nara Prefecture. The extant version was created ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nara Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama Prefecture to the southwest, and Mie Prefecture to the east. Nara (city), Nara is the capital and largest city of Nara Prefecture, with other major cities including Kashihara, Nara, Kashihara, Ikoma, Nara, Ikoma, and Yamatokōriyama. Nara Prefecture is located in the center of the Kii Peninsula on Japan's Pacific Ocean coast, and is one of only eight landlocked prefectures. Nara Prefecture has the distinction of having more UNESCO World Heritage listings than any other prefecture in Japan. History Nara Prefecture region is considered one of the oldest regions in Japan, having been in existence for thousands of years, and is widely viewed as the Japanese cradle of civilization. Like Kyoto, Nara was one of Imperial Japa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of National Treasures Of Japan (sculptures)
In the mid-6th century, the introduction of Buddhism from Korea (Baekje) to Japan resulted in a revival of Japanese sculpture. Buddhist monks, artisans and scholars settled around the capital in Yamato Province (present day Nara Prefecture) and passed their techniques to native craftsmen. Consequently, early Japanese sculptures from the Asuka and Hakuhō periods show strong influences of continental art, which initially were characterized by almond-shaped eyes, upward-turned crescent-shaped lips and symmetrically arranged folds in the clothing. The workshop of the Japanese sculptor Tori Busshi, who was strongly influenced by the Northern Wei style, produced works which exemplify such characteristics. The Shakyamuni triad and the Guze Kannon at Hōryū-ji are prime examples. By the late 7th century, wood replaced bronze and copper. By the early Tang dynasty, greater realism was expressed by fuller forms, long narrow slit eyes, softer facial features, flowing garments and embell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ikaruga, Nara
is a town in Ikoma District, Nara, Japan. Ikaruga is home to Hōryū-ji and Hokki-ji, ancient Buddhist temples collectively inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Other ancient temples include Hōrin-ji, also in the vicinity of Hōryū-ji. The town was named after the Palace of Prince Shōtoku, Ikaruga-no-Miya (''Imperial Palace of Ikaruga'', or ''Imperial House of Ikaruga''), whose grounds were at Hōryū-ji, thus it is also called Ikaruga-dera (temple of Ikaruga). As of 31 August, 2021, the town has an estimated population of 28,215, with 11,308 households. The total area is . Neighboring municipalities * Nara Prefecture ** Ikoma ** Yamatokōriyama ** Sangō ** Heguri ** Ando ** Kawai ** Ōji Geography * Tatsuta River (Nara Prefectural Tatsuta Park) * Yamato River *Mount Matsuo Education Elementary schools * Ikaruga Elementary School * Ikarugahigashi Elementary School * Ikaruganishi Elementary School Junior high schools * Ikaruga Junior High School * Ikar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mandala
A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. In the Eastern religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Shinto it is used as a map representing deities, or especially in the case of Shinto, paradises, kami or actual shrines. A mandala generally represents the spiritual journey, starting from outside to the inner core, through layers. Hinduism In Hinduism, a basic mandala, also called a '' yantra'', takes the form of a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. Each gate is in the general shape of a T. Mandalas often have radial balance. A '' yantra'' is similar to a mandala, usually smaller and using a more limited colour palette. It may be a two- or three-dimensional geometric ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lacquer
Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity. Asian lacquerware, which may be called "true lacquer", are objects coated with the treated, dyed and dried sap of '' Toxicodendron vernicifluum'' or related trees, applied in several coats to a base that is usually wood. This dries to a very hard and smooth surface layer which is durable, waterproof, and attractive in feel and look. Asian lacquer is sometimes painted with pictures, inlaid with shell and other materials, or carved, as well as dusted with gold and given other further decorative treatments. In modern techniques, lacquer means a range of clear or pigmented coatings that dry by solvent evaporation to produce a hard, durable finish. The finish can be of any sheen level from ultra matte to high gloss, and it can be further polished as required. Lacquer fini ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Artibus Asiae
''Artibus Asiae'' is a biannual academic journal specialising in the arts and archaeology of Asia. Along with the '' Ostasiatische Zeitschrift'' (founded in 1912) it was one of the most successful journals in its field in the German-speaking part of Europe. The first number of ''Artibus Asiae'' appeared in 1925. While earlier issues contained articles in German, French and English, today's contributions are mainly in English. ''Artibus Asiae'' is owned and published by the Museum Rietberg in Zurich. ''Artibus Asiae'' also published occasional monographs since 1937. History The first volume of the journal was published by the Avalun-Verlag Hellerau-Dresden in 1925 and was edited by Carl Hentze (1883–1975) and Alfred Salmony (1890–1958). The early volumes appeared in four issues each, up to vol. 59. All subsequent volumes were published in two parts. The typographer, publisher and later editor-in-chief Richard Hadl (1876–1944) had worked for the Leipzig-based publisher ''Dr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tortoises
Tortoises () are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin: ''tortoise''). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like other members of the suborder Cryptodira, they retract their necks and heads directly backward into the shell to protect them. Tortoises can vary in size with some species, such as the Galápagos giant tortoise, growing to more than in length, whereas others like the Speckled cape tortoise have shells that measure only long. Several lineages of tortoises have independently evolved very large body sizes in excess of 100 kg, including the Galapagos giant tortoise and the Aldabra giant tortoise. They are usually diurnal animals with tendencies to be crepuscular depending on the ambient temperatures. They are generally reclusive animals. Tortoises are the longest-living land animals in the world, although the longest-living species of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Embroidery
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on caps, hats, coats, overlays, blankets, dress shirts, denim, dresses, stockings, scarfs, and golf shirts. Embroidery is available in a wide variety of thread or yarn colour. Some of the basic techniques or stitches of the earliest embroidery are chain stitch, buttonhole or blanket stitch, running stitch, satin stitch, and cross stitch. Those stitches remain the fundamental techniques of hand embroidery today. History Origins The process used to tailor, patch, mend and reinforce cloth fostered the development of sewing techniques, and the decorative possibilities of sewing led to the art of embroidery. Indeed, the remarkable stability of basic embroidery stitches has been noted: The art of embroidery has been found world ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
