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The Art of Japan

The National Gallery's pieces of Japanese art reveal a strong theme of Buddhism in that country and how it came to be practised there. The influences arriving (both in religion and style of artwork) from India and China are given particular attention, as well as the influences which could be seen as being more internal to Japan, with the strong revival of Buddhism in the 13th century. Some works show traditional motifs and styles which can be traced through history to their appearance in an earlier time, whereas some, such as the painting of a 'Tiger at a waterfall', clearly show a very personal style of working which is particular to that artist.

If you would like to view more images than are provided here, including woodblock prints, paintings and images of Japanese dance, have a look at

The Autumn Garden

1. Title: The fishing net
Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro
Date: c.1804
This woodcut is the left-hand end print of a series of three images which are printed adjacent to one another in order to form a single image. Each frame has been signed and stamped by the artist and could operate separately, but the narrative is revealed only when they are viewed together. As expressed in the title of the work, the central fishing net acts as the focal point within the image. The activities of the various figures are centred on the act of fishing and they direct their looks toward the centre of the frame. The movement related through the actions of the figures and the sea surrounding them bring the people into a kind of harmony with their environment. This feeling, along with the depiction of what is the enjoyment of a simple act reflect some of the notions of Buddhism, where pleasure is derived from simple sources. The arrangement of the scenes in a triptych, however, suggests a Christian influence as well.

[Detail]
2. Title: Prince Shotoku praying to the Buddha
Date: Kamakura period (c.1300)
H.=48.2cm
Carved out of wood, this sculpture shows the Prince Shotoku as a young child kneeling in prayer to Buddha. It is said in Japanese tradition that on the anniversary of Buddha's death, the Prince faced east, prayed "Hail! Buddha" and then opened his hands to reveal a relic of the Buddha himself. The Prince was active in promoting Buddhism in Japan after it was introduced from China and Korea in the sixth century. He placed great importance on the social welfare of his people and developed a government which conformed to Buddhist ideals. In the Kamakura period, there was a revival of what had become the cult following of the good works of the Prince. This sculpture attests to that popular revival.

3. Title: A tiger at a waterfall
Artist: Gibon Sengai
Date: c.1811-37
92/169cm
This line painting shows a tiger, the symbol of mind power in Buddhism, drinking from a waterfall. The writing on the left-hand side of the frame reads 'The cascade falls directly a thousand feet; flying spray glistens like powdered jade'. The artist of this work was a devoted Buddhist, having entered a monastery at the age of eleven. He became abbot of the first Zen temple built in Japan. Upon retirement, Sengai spent more of his time painting and writing, basing his images on his own Zen Buddhist beliefs and expressing them in a free manner of line work as we see in this painting. He also spent time travelling, teaching the word of Buddha as he went.

4. Title: The Buddha and the sixteen protectors
Date: Kamakura period, 14th century
115/60cm
In this painting, we see a central Buddha figure surrounded by two saviour figures and the sixteen protectors of the Great Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom. The image served as a focus for meditation during readings of this sutra. With the revival of Buddhism in the Kamakura period, these images were created to depict how the sutra was brought to Japan. In the foreground stands the Chinese monk Xuan Zang who made an extended pilgrimage to India, returning in around 645 with many Buddhist texts, one of which was the Great Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom. Chinese versions of these texts were also later to be brought into Japan from China. The connections between these three countries can be seen by how they are united under a common religion.

5. Title: Outer robe (awase kariginu) for a male actor in a No drama performance
Date: Edo period, late 17th century
159/173cm
This robe is fashioned from traditional hunting cloaks worn by male courtiers in the Edo period. It was the most important costume worn by men for No performance, accompanied by a mask and body padding to make the actor appear larger. This particular robe would have been used by actors in the roles of strong gods, ministers and minor demons who were thought to torment monks. The performances were held for the entertainment of shogun rulers and the samurai nobility, a tradition which had begun some 100 years previously. The design woven into the fabric of this robe incorporates the eight-pointed symbol of the Buddhist wheel of law, which appeared in Japanese art at a much earlier period, namely the Kamakura in the 13th century.

6. Title: Deep Bowl (fukabachi)
Date: Middle Jomon period (c.2500-1500 BC)
H.=87cm
This large ceramic bowl was built by the coil method of ceramic production and probably served as a cooking or storage vessel. The Jomon people are thought to have been producers of very high quality ceramics in the Stone Age, paying a great deal of attention to surface decoration and incorporating assymetrical design into functional objects. These features of Jomon ceramics continued to remain prevalent in Japanese work despite the introduction of new technologies by the Yayoi people in the third century BC. The name Jomon refers to the cord-like decoration which we can see around the top of this piece. This motif was common in ceramics from the Jomon period.

For a summary of the major traditions in Japanese painting, see my page on the

Japanese Painting

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Jane Carter 19.10.95