Todai-ji
- Japanese: 東大寺 (Toudai-ji)
Tôdai-ji, located in Nara, is one of the earliest and most significant Buddhist temples in Japan. Its Daibutsuden, or "Great Buddha Hall," is considered the largest wooden building in the world, and houses the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Tôdai-ji is also home to the Shôsôin Imperial Storehouse, which contains numerous National Treasures - objects from the Nara period (8th century) of immense historical importance.
History
The Great Buddha was completed in 752.
The temple wielded great political influence at various times in its history, particularly in the Nara and Heian periods, and became embroiled in armed conflict at times as well. Tôdai-ji, along with nearby Kôfuku-ji, came under attack from the forces of the Taira samurai clan in 1181 for this reason; the temple had opposed the Taira both politically, and militarily, fielding forces of warrior monks. The 1181 siege of Nara saw the destruction of Tôdai-ji, Kôfuku-ji, and Gangô-ji, and the deaths of roughly 35,000 people.
The Daibutsuden that stands today dates back to 1707, when the hall was destroyed and rebuilt at roughly 70% of its previous size. Yet, even reduced in size, it remains the largest wooden building in the world.
Daibutsu
The Daibutsu at Tôdai-ji is the largest bronze Buddha sculpture in Japan. It weighs 250 tons, and is 18.03 meters tall (including the platform; 14.98m tall without the platform). Its face is 5.33m long, and each eye is 1.02m long. The statue's ears are each 2.54m long, and its mouth is 1.33m wide. The urna is 30cm in diameter, and each of its 966 whorls of hair is 21cm high and 22cm in diameter.[1]
Other Sculptures
Many of the other sculptures at Tôdai-ji are also of great art historical significance. These include:
- A pair of Niô guardian figures housed inside the Nandaimon ("Great South Gate") of the temple, the tallest freestanding wooden sculptures in Japan. They were fashioned by Unkei and Kaikei, along with 18 assistants, over the course of 72 days in 1203, using multiple block construction.[2] A number of other sculptures made by Unkei for Tôdai-ji, including one of the bodhisattva Kokuzô and one of Jikoku-ten, do not survive today.[3]
References
- Mason, Penelope. History of Japanese Art. Second Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005.
- ↑ "Kamakura daibutsu no tokuchô." Official website of Kôtoku-in. 2010.
- ↑ Mason. pp187-188.
- ↑ Môri Hisashi. "Unkei: The Man and His Art." in Sculpture of the Kamakura Period. New York: Weatherhill, 1974. p45.
