Page 399 - Art In The Age Of Exploration (Great Section on Chinese Art Ming Dynasty)

nated the "Precepts of the Seven Buddhas"
(J: Shichibutsu tsukaige). They are frequently 239
employed as an aphoristic distillation of Buddhist Koei
teaching not likely to be contradicted by any
Buddhist sect. active 15th century
A brusquely confident manner, suitable to AMIDA
the imperative or preceptive mode, is the essence
of Ikkyu's style, and this work is widely regarded dated to 1472
as his calligraphic masterpiece, although these wood with traces of polychromy
(2iV 8)
aphorisms were cherished by Ikkyu and were height 53.5 Saunders 1960, 66-74, £5-93;
references:
brushed by him in other formats as well. fukuyama 1976,151, chart opp. p. 153; Los Angeles
Widely regarded (though never formally 1984, 304-305
acknowledged) as a son of the emperor Go-
Komatsu (1377-1433), Ikkyu from the age of six Robert H. Ellsworth collection, New York
was placed in various Zen temples under the tute-
lage of distinguished teachers. Trained in the In Japan from the eleventh century the most
Rinzai Zen tradition, Ikkyu was throughout his popular of the Buddhas was Amida, Buddha of the
life an acerbic critic of the Zen establishment, as Western Paradise, to whom worshipers ascribed a
well as wildly unconventional in his behavior. signal and predominating mercy. Appearing alone
One may reasonably infer that his more insightful or accompanied by his compassionate attendant
colleagues acknowledged the morals pointed by bodhisattvas, Kannon and Seishi, Amida alone of
his eccentricities; the others were doubtless all the Buddhas is often shown descending to wel-
moved to tolerance by Ikkyu's connection with come the liberated soul, whom he escorts to his
the imperial line. His links were always with Dai- Western Paradise, or Pure Land (Jodo). When
toku-ji, where he held responsible positions as seated, he was often shown with both hands in
abbot of various subtemples, at the same time the gesture of meditation (J: jo-in- S: dhyana
remaining the castigating outsider. Only in 1474, mudrd), resting palms up in his lap. Here the
at the request of emperor Go-Tsuchimikado hands are now missing, but from the position of
(r. 1465-1500), did Ikkyu —then eighty-one — the arms it seems certain he was making the ges-
assume the abbacy of Daitoku-ji, which had been tures of consolation or appeasement (J: an-i-in;
destroyed during the Onin War (1467-1477). It the same hand positions, called vitarka mudra in
was a sublimely ironic appointment: the inveter- Sanskrit, signify in Indian Buddhist icons discus-
ate critic of the religious establishment's worldly sion or teaching).
excesses was now head of a temple reduced to When the image was recently dismantled for
ashes. His investiture took place at a small retreat inspection and cleaning, an ink inscription was
called Ummon-an in the port city of Sakai. found inside the head at the back (a commonplace
Ikkyu's strong relationships with wealthy mer- location, since the head was made in two pieces,
chants in Sakai eventually elicited funding for the mask and the balance, leaving a reasonably
the rebuilding of Daitoku-ji, and the work was in large and flat surface for writing). The inscription
process when Ikkyu died, seated in meditation, reads as follows:
in 1481.
Ikkyu bridled against any attempts to institu- Carved by Unkei 9th on the 8th day of the 8th
tionalize Zen. In a climate which encouraged month, 4th year of Bummei [1472] at Daisan-ji
legitimization of spiritual insight and lineage of Yoshu, at Matsuyama, Shikoku. Carved by
through the presentation of certificates (inka) or Koei, daiyu hogen [the second of three honor-
portraits (chinso) from master to disciple, Ikkyu ary ranks] of the Shichijo Bussho workshop.
noted in one of his final directives that he had (Translation by Itoh Keita.)
never given an inka to any disciple. In pure Zen This places the sculpture in a notable line of
style he confounded the usual interpretation of descent. The Shichijo (literally, "Seventh Ave-
the straightforward dictum shown here in his own nue," in Kyoto) school originated with Jocho (d.
hand: his true followers, Ikkyu said, would roam 1057), tne m °st significant sculptor of the Late
the forests, drinking and indulging the flesh, Heian period (897-1185). Jocho's icons—graceful,
while false monks would teach pieties for their serene, and mild, as exemplified in the Amida in
own profit. the Phoenix Hall of the Byodo-in —expressed a
The calligraphy reads: Ikkyu's own writings are primarily verse, truly Japanese sculptural style. Jocho is credited as
"Strive to do good/' passionate, blunt, and often ironic—the irony well with perfecting the technique of joined
expressing both deprecation and affection for woodblock construction (yosegi zukuri). In this
human foibles and a quizzical mistrust for all method, which economized on wood and
human pretention. In spirit, tone, and intention prevented checking, images were carved of many
his verses contravene the elegant ambiguities of separate blocks of wood, split, hollowed out, and
court poetry. The very style of Ikkyu's calligraphy then joined. From Jocho and his disciple Kakujo
bespeaks his character and purpose. j.u. (d. 1077), reputed to be Jocho's son, the famous
Kei school is said to have descended, by filiation
398 CIRCA 1492