420 ART INDUSTRY AND RELATED OCCUPATIONS. 



who succeeded in securing a fine collection of them at a time when 

 t^e demand was small, the choice large, and the price low, look 

 upon the same with great pride. 



Wood carving, or Ki-no-horl-mono, was first practised in 

 Buddhist Asia, as in Christian Europe, for the adornment of 

 temples, and has received thereby much inspiration and encourage- 

 ment. From the beginning of the sixth century, when the first 

 statue of an Indian saint came from Corea to Japan, till now, 

 the making of Moku-butsu or wooden idols, has been the chief 

 work of Japanese wood-carvers. The largest and most effective 

 products of their art are undoubtedly the two gatekeepers usually 

 stationed at the two sides of the tall outer doors (Sam-mon) of a 

 Buddhist temple ; tall, naked athletic figures, three or four meters 

 high, with grim expression of face, and a muscular development 

 that is represented often with wonderful power and truth. They are 

 called Ni-6 (Niwo-sama) " the venerable kings." The two Ni-6 in 

 the southern golden hall (Nan-yen-do) in the vicinity of the 

 formerly celebrated temple K6-fuku-ji at Nara,^ are especially 

 noteworthy. It is customary also to represent in wood various 

 personages, prominent in Japanese history. Among the smaller 

 sculptures of this sort, a statue of Hitomaro (Kaki-no-moto-no- 

 Hito-maro), a celebrated poet who lived 1200 years ago, is very 

 frequent and well executed.^ It is a typical, noble, intelligent 

 figure, always represented in a sitting posture. On the bent knee 

 of the extended right foot rests the right hand holding the brush 

 (Fude), on the left knee a small tablet which supports the left arm. 

 He wears black lacquered wooden shoes (Kutsu) on his feet, and 

 on his head, the black, stiff hat (Yeboshi). An imperial completes 

 the characteristic appearance of this old Japanese figure. 



The figure of Hitomaro, usually carved in Koku-tan or Shi-tan 

 (ebony or sapan-wood, see pages 250 and 253), is always artistically 

 and carefully treated. This appears mostly in the folds of the 

 garments and in the noble features of the countenance ; and the 

 work differs in this from the more artisan-like making of many of 

 the idols. 



Nikko exhibits in wood carving as in many other branches of 

 industrial Art, superior productions, among which the Nemuri-no- 

 Neko,-or " sleeping cat," over a door near to the tomb of lyeyasu, 

 is most prominent. Beautiful wood sculptures, which are not much 

 its inferior in artistic value, are still to be found, some as reliefs 

 on columns, doors and roofs, some in the open work above the 

 inner walls of several temples and buildings belonging to them. 

 Most of them represent the animals of the zodiac, or paeonies, and 



^ " Among a crowd of miscellaneous images are an excellent pair of Ni-6, 

 the anatomy of which is perfect. They are the best examples of sculpture in 

 wood to be seen in Japan." — See Satow and Hawes, "A Handbook for Travellers 

 in Japan." Second edition, p. 389. London, 1884. 



" See " Handbook," etc., page 401. 



