Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art, 1600-2005
Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art explores the transformation of Buddhism from the premodern to the contemporary era in Japan and the central role its visual culture has played in this transformation. The chapters elucidate the thread of change over time in the practice of Buddhism as revealed in sites of devotion and in imagery representing the religion's most popular deities and religious practices. It also introduces the work of modern and contemporary artists who are not generally...
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Faith and Power in Japanese Buddhist Art explores the transformation of Buddhism from the premodern to the contemporary era in Japan and the central role its visual culture has played in this transformation. The chapters elucidate the thread of change over time in the practice of Buddhism as revealed in sites of devotion and in imagery representing the religion's most popular deities and religious practices. It also introduces the work of modern and contemporary artists who are not generally associated with institutional Buddhism but whose faith inspires their art. The author makes a persuasive argument that the neglect of these materials by scholars results from erroneous presumptions about the aesthetic superiority of early Japanese Buddhist artifacts and an asserted decline in the institutional power of the religion after the sixteenth century. She demonstrates that recent works constitute a significant contribution to the history of Japanese art and architecture, providing evidence of Buddhism's persistent and compelling presence at all levels of Japanese society.
Acknowledgments viiNote on Translations, References, and Usage of Chinese and Japanese Names, Dates, and Terms ixMap of Japan xiIntroduction 1Part I Buddhism in the Arts of Early Modern Japan, 1600-18681 Institutional Buddhism under Warrior Rule 172 Buddhist Temples for the Elites 453 Temples for Commoners 734 Depictions of Popular Deities and Spiritual Concerns 965 Professional Icon-Makers 1276 Expressions of Faith 150Part II Buddhist Imagery and Sacred Sites in Modern Japan, 1868-20057 Buddhist Institutions after an Era of Persecution, 1868-1945 1778 From Icon to Art, 1868-1945 1999 Buddhist Sites of Worship, 1945-2005 22610 Visualizing Faith, 1945-2005 251Conclusion 275Appendix Guide to Tokyo-Area Temples Mentioned in This Book 279Notes 281Character Glossary 307Bibliography 313Index 339
