Beloved Kudara Kannon Story

When I visited the "Daihozoin" (Great Treasure House) at Horyu-ji Temple previously, I touched upon the "Kudara Kannon" a little.

Since photography is prohibited, if I borrow an image, this is what the figure looks like.

Because it is genderless, I don't know if it is a he or a she, but the slender, tall 209.4 cm frame, with a small head and an eight-head-tall body ratio, is just like a supermodel.

When you are looked down upon while it wears a gentle smile, you are drawn in so much that you cannot help but smile back.
It has an overwhelming presence, radiates an aura that keeps viewers glued to it, and even within Horyu-ji Temple, which houses 3,000 important cultural properties of the country including about 40 national treasures, it is a Buddhist statue that stands out in particular.

Despite being such a masterpiece, one of its great charms is that the artist is unknown, and there are no details at all about when it was made, who the model was, or why it was created; it is a Buddhist statue that still does not fade and continues to fascinate people.

The Mysterious Kudara Kannon

Even though it is the Kudara (Baekje) Kannon, it is not of Korean origin?!

One might tend to think it was brought from Korea based on its name, but in fact, since the materials used are domestic camphor and cypress, it is believed to have been made within Japan.

確かボランティアガイドの方は朝鮮由来だとか言ってたけど💦

It is surprising that the entire body is made from a single piece of camphor wood.
It is a masterpiece over 2 meters tall when finished!
I wonder how large a tree it was, and how much soul was poured into carving it.

Strangely, there are no records of the Kudara Kannon at Horyu-ji Temple until the Edo period, and we can only estimate that it was created in the early 7th century during the Asuka period.
Because there are no records, nothing is known about the artist, of course, nor its connection to Horyu-ji Temple or its origins.

The name Kudara Kannon was first used in the commentary of the "Horyu-ji Okagami" (Great Mirror of Horyu-ji) in 1917, and it seems that the name became established after the philosopher and cultural historian Tetsuro Watsuji and the archaeologist Seiryo Hamada successively announced it as "Kudara Kannon" in their own books.

Perhaps the very beginning was when it was written as "Korean-style Kannon" during the treasure survey in 1886, before that.

And before that, it is said that it was worshipped as the "Kokuzo Bosatsu" that was the object of Prince Shotoku's faith.
I wrote about the ranks of Buddhas before, but "Kannon" is one of the "Bosatsu" (Bodhisattvas) and is of the same rank, but "Kokuzo Bosatsu" is famous as the "Bodhisattva of Wisdom" who bestows wisdom upon people.

Prince Shotoku's brilliant mind may also be a blessing from this Kokuzo Bosatsu.

Realistically, as human as possible

A representative immigrant Buddhist sculptor of the Asuka period, Kuratsukuri no Tori. He is famous at Horyu-ji Temple as the creator of the Shaka Triad in the Kondo (Golden Hall) and the main image of the Yumedono, the Guze Kannon statue, but this Kudara Kannon is completely different in style from what is called the Tori style.

Buddhist statues of the Tori style are meant to be viewed from the front without considering the sides and lack three-dimensionality, but the Kudara Kannon statue grasps the whole image as a more natural human body and achieves an elegant form even when viewed from the side.

It is made with a more evolved consciousness and technique than other national treasure-class Buddhist statues in Horyu-ji Temple.

While many Buddhist statues from later periods are expressionless and stationary, or have muscular bodies that exaggerate strength, the Kudara Kannon is neither of these.
It expresses a "natural human" with thorough fidelity, and its faintly smiling expression exudes such humanity that it feels as if it is about to speak to us, making it impossible not to feel a sense of closeness.

The biggest reason I love Buddhist statues from the Asuka period is the "archaic smile."
Originally, this term referred to the "smile seen only on the lips" found in ancient Greek archaic sculpture, but it is also frequently seen in Buddhist statues from the Asuka period and is one of their major characteristics.

The smile of this Kudara Kannon is even more subtle than what is typically called an "archaic smile," yet it contains infinite compassion, and it has a charm that instantly envelops the viewer in its warmth.

What does "Korean style" mean?

In the first place, Buddhism itself is not native to Japan; it originated in India and was transmitted through Korea and Baekje.
Regarding the Buddhist statues as well, the first Buddhist sculptors, monks, and carpenters must have naturally been practitioners and technicians who came from the continent, and they were produced based on the original Buddhist style, and there is no doubt that production had begun within Japan by at least the 7th century.

If the term "Korean style" refers to the "realistic, soft, and light atmosphere" seen in this Kudara Kannon, then it is possible that the creator was a Japanese person who imitated that style.

It is nothing short of a mystery that such a masterpiece was left behind without a single document remaining.

It has been specially exhibited at the Tokyo National Museum and the Louvre Museum, and it is said that it was housed in a custom-made glass case on those occasions.

However, it is not enclosed in anything at the current Horyu-ji "Daihozoin" (Great Treasure House).
I believe we should cherish more the happiness of being able to view the overly beautiful figure of this "Kudara Kannon," which is no exaggeration to call a masterpiece of ancient Japanese sculpture representing Asuka sculpture, with our own naked eyes in 360 degrees, rather than through glass.

The Secret Buddha Detective's Appraisal Journey

The reason I wrote this article is because I read this work.

The protagonist, an apprentice Buddhist sculptor, has a special ability that allows him to touch the thoughts of the creator of a Buddhist statue when he touches the work, and to re-experience the production process.
I found myself thinking of the impossible, such as wanting him to touch the Kudara Kannon and experience its history.
It is a light read that contains three stories of his experiences.

I accidentally found this book at home, not knowing when I bought it, and ended up reading it all at once; in fact, I had written an article about my impressions of a work by the same author two and a half years ago, and it seems I had forgotten that I bought it after finishing that one.

This story was really interesting, so I must have thought I would read more by the same author, Juichi Fukatsu.

There is also a story about the "Kokuzo Bosatsu" in this book, and I recalled that the Kudara Kannon was also called that, so I wanted to organize that mystery immediately.

I have only read two books by Juichi Fukatsu so far, but they are light and easy to read despite their titles and subjects, so I thought I would like to read more when I have the chance.

Finally, if I may be so bold, I thought the same thing last time, but I think there is a more appropriate title, don't you think??

*Top image
Illustration AC created with Canva after downloading the image

[References]
・Introduction to the History of Asuka-Hakuho Artistic Spirit
・Ikaruga Town Tourism Pamphlet
・Butsuzo World
・Rindo