THE ART OF CASTING BRONZE IN JAPAN. 617 



collected by the priests of the temple, were melted down for casting- it, 

 and tlie metal being insnfificient, tlie casting was afaihire; 3(),(I0() more 

 coins were then collected for addition to the defective bell, when it was 

 remelted. It is also recorded that cojiper coins were similarly melted 

 up for casting Buddhist images and ornamental utensils, hence it would 

 appear that it was not then deemed necessary to use a different alloy 

 for bells and art castings than for coins. 



FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTURIES. 



During the lourteenth and fifteenth centuries we have again a period 

 of decadence, with the exception of two short brilliant intervals, the first 

 during the supremacy of tlie Ashikaga Shdgun, Yoshimitsu (1368-1493 

 A. D.), and the second during that of Ashikaga loshimasa (1440-1471 A. 

 D,). For the greater part of this period the country was again in a state 

 of unrest and intestine conflict, and the arts of peace found but little 

 encouragement, excepting so far as they contributed to the needs of war. 



Workers in iron are brilliantly rei)resented by one of the greatest of 

 the famous forgers of sword blades, Masamune, and by several dis- 

 tinguished armorers and smiths of the renowned Miochin family; but 

 the bronze founder was not in request. His chief work during these 

 two centuries was a colossal figure of the Buddha Vairotchana, cast 

 during the time of Yoshimasa for the temple at Hase (Kamakura). I 

 have not seen this image, but it is said to be an admirable casting and 

 to measure 30 feet G inches in height. 



Two bronzes which were exhibited at Nara in 1888 represent the 

 smaller castings of the period, one an incense burner, which was pre- 

 sented by the hero Kusunoki Masa-shige (first half of the fourteenth 

 century) to the temple at Hase (Yamato), and a war bell also given by 

 him to the Emperor Godaigo. 



SIXTEENTH CENTURY. 



In the last decade of this century, after another period of civil war, 

 the patron of art and culture is again a famous warrior, Hideyoshi 

 (often laiown as Taiko Sama). Although then engaged in war with 

 Korea, the closing years of his life were devoted to jieaceful pursuits at 

 home, and in imitation of Yoritoino at Kamakura, he erected a huge 

 Buddha and a temple to contain it at Kioto. On the destruction of 

 the image, which was of wood, by an earthquake only eight years after 

 its erection, he contemplated replacing it by one of bronze, but the 

 execution of this was delayed by his death (1598 A. D.), and was only 

 accomplished by his son and widow sixteen years afterwards. 



No large bronzes of importance appear to have been cast during this 

 century. Two specimens of the smaller bronzes are exhibited, one a 

 a figure of Y'akushi (the healing divinity), belonging to my friend Mr. 

 Alfred Cock, in which the deity is represented holding a crystal ball, an 

 emblem of purity, in his left hand. It bears the names of its dedicators 

 to the temple and the date 1509. 



