Page 115 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

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53 Ishin Suden shohatto (Rules for the Military Houses, joined-wood (yosegi) structure of the head
polychromed wood that is laws governing the daimyo and sam- and body is no different from typical ex-
h. 32.7 (127/8) urai) and the laws prohibiting Christianity. amples. The eyes are crystal. The coloring
Edo period, iyth century Also wielding tremendous influence with of the hat, the chair, and the staff is well
leyasu's successor, Hidetada, he was called
Nanzenji, Kyoto preserved. Although the face is somewhat
Kokue no Saishd, or the premier who wore lacking in liveliness and the body is gener-
Ishin Suden (1569-1632) was an early Edo the black robes of a priest. He lost power alized, this sculpture demonstrates the
Zen Buddhist priest of the Rinzai school. during the reign of lemitsu (1604-1651), the technical mastery of the era. NYS
He was born to a retainer of the Muro- third Tokugawa shogun.
machi shogunate, which collapsed when This small portrait sculpture is placed
he was a child, and he entered the Zen in the upper floor of the gate of Nanzenji,
monastery of Nanzenji and became a which was rebuilt by Suden in 1628. Su-
priest. He became abbot in 1605, reinvigo- den, seated on a chair, wears a hat, a
rated the monastery, and lived at Kon- priestly robe, and, over it, a kesa (priest's
chiin, a subtemple. Serving Tokugawa mantle). His left hand is palm down, while
leyasu (1543-1616) from 1608 on, he drafted the right hand originally held either a ship-
the shogunate's diplomatic correspon- pel (bamboo whip used for Zen training) or
dence. Eventually he supervised a wide a hossu (whisk with long white hairs sym-
range of diplomatic and religious activi- bolically used to brush away worldly
ties, and he participated in the drafting of thoughts), now lost. The sleeves and the
laws for the shogunate, including the Buke hem of the robe hang deeply in front, and
a staff is placed at the side.
Although this hollow statue is small
for a chinsd (Zen priest's portrait), the

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