Jōchō

Head, attributed to Jōchō.

Amida in the Byōdō-in

Jōchō ( Japanese 定 朝 ; died 1057 ) was the most important Japanese sculptor of the Heian period .

life and work

Jōchō received his training from his father Kōshō ( 康 尚 ; active 990 to 1020). He worked for Fujiwara no Michinaga , the de facto ruler in current Japan, for his son Yorimichi , for the imperial family and for the upper nobility. His sculptures are the first in their own Japanese style. This Jōchō style influenced all sculptures of the 11th and 12th centuries and also had an effect on the sculptures of the Edo period . Jōchō perfected the Yosegi technique ( 寄 木造 り ~ zukuri ), d. H. the construction of a sculpture from individual pieces of wood, and the Warihagi technique ( 割 り 接 ぎ 造 り ~ zukuri ), in which the sculpture is divided into two halves, each of which is hollowed out and then put back together.

The first reliable information about Jōchō relates to the time when 16 statues were created for the main hall ( 本 堂 Hondō ) and the hall for the five great saints, the Godai-dō ( 五 大堂 ), of the temple Hōjō-ji ( 法 成 寺 ). When the statues were completed in 1022, Jōchō was awarded the rank of Hokkyō for his work. This is all the more remarkable because it was the first time that a sculptor had been awarded this rank. This also upgraded the work of sculptors in general.

In 1026 Jōchō created 27 statues for a happy birth of a concubine of the emperor. It is reported that he hired 20 sculptors for this commission, each of whom had five assistants. From this it can be seen that Jōchō ran a large studio in which numerous statues were produced in division of labor. In 1048 Jōchō received a higher rank, namely that of a Hōgen. The statue of the holy Jizō ( 地 蔵 菩薩 ) of Rokuharamitsu-ji is attributed to the young Jōchō, but there is no clear documentation about it. It is certain, however, that he was responsible for the Amida Nyorai in the Phoenix Pavilion ( 鳳凰 堂 Hōō-dō ) of the Byōdō-in , which Yorimichi had built in 1052.

The sculptures of the early Heian period, influenced by those of the Tang period in China, show a severity and a certain clumsiness. In the course of the 10th century it gradually became less important. In Jōchōs Amida Nyorai, the massive style of the early Heian period has completely disappeared and has become a style of harmony and lightness. A purely Japanese sculpture had thus developed and freed itself from Chinese influence. It was therefore exactly suitable for the religion of the Pure Land ( 浄土 宗 ), as it was mainly cultivated by the nobility. The openwork mandala with incised apsaras , the lotus position and the magnificent, well-proportioned figure itself, all of this became the model for the work of the late Heian period. The same applies to the Yosegi technique and the Warihage technique, which can be seen in the little Bodhisattvas who float on the clouds above on the walls (carved by his students), which also became the model for later work on a large or small scale Scale.

Jōchō's direct pupil Chōsei ( 長勢 ; 1010-1091) and Kakujo ( 覚 助 ; † 1077), of whom it is said that he was Jochō's son, were also excellent sculptors. In addition, Jōchō founded an important line of sculptors, to which z. B. also belonged to Unkei .

Remarks

1. ↑ Owned by the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
2. ↑ An old picture, as photography is strictly forbidden today.
3. ↑ This temple burned down in 1053 and was never rebuilt.
4. ↑ ^{a b} Hokkyō ( 法 橋 ) and the higher level Hōgen ( 法眼 ) were Buddhist ranks, which were later awarded to scholars and artists.

literature

• S. Noma (Ed.): Jōchō . In: Japan. An Illustrated Encyclopedia. Kodansha, 1993, ISBN 4-06-205938-X , p. 555
• Tazawa, Yutaka: Jōchō . In: Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art. Kodansha International, 1981. ISBN 0-87011-488-3 .
• Laurance P. Roberts: Jōchō . In: A Dictionary of Japanese Artists. Weatherhill, 1976. ISBN 0-8348-0113-2 .
• Papinot, Edmond: Jōchō . In: Historical and Geographical Dictionary of Japan. Reprinted by Tuttle, 1972 edition of 1910 edition. ISBN 0-8048-0996-8 .

Web links

Commons : Jōchō  - collection of images, videos and audio files