法華寺 十一面觀音菩薩立像과 光明皇后의 信仰

Abstract

The standing statue of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara of Hokke-ji (法華寺), which is 100cm high is known as the one-wooden sculpture of danzō-style (檀像様) made of a piece of kaya (榧, Japanese Torreya) in the 9th century. The characteristic feature of this work is that hair made of the thin copper plate is expressed as if it is fluttering in the wind. The beautiful expression of the tip of the heavenly clothes blowing in the wind that seems to correspond to the hair also draws attention. As for the so-called the representation of movement by the wind (風動表現), Inoue’s argument that it was the result of following the painting style of Wu Daoxuan (吳道玄) who is a painter of Tang China is widely accepted. However, scholars have suggested so far that the work was the imitation of either of Sandalwood statue of eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara (檀像十一面 觀音像) enshrined at Todai-ji Amidado hall (東大寺阿弥陀堂) or the central figure of the painting (畵像本尊) of Shibichudai Ekadasamukha (紫微中臺 十 一面悔過所), which are not extant today. The eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara faith of Empress Kōmiyoukougou (光明 皇后) combined initially with Amitabha faith. These two images made in the eighth century are also closely related to the Amitabha faith of the Empress. They seem to be produced to practice the 11th karamālā(掐數珠印第十一) in Daranijikkyou (陀羅尼集經, Skt. Dhāraṇīsamuccaya), which is the same practice of Amitabha Mudra (阿彌陀佛輪印法) in the sutra. If this is true, the wind expression of Wu Daoxuan style, or the mandola made in the form of lotus bud (未開敷蓮華) is supposed to be designed to represent Avalokiteshvara standing in Amitabha Pure Land. Therefore, the previous scholarship that considers the statue of Hoke-ji, which is affected by the story of Empress Kōmiyoukougou to continue the tradition of the eleven-headed Avalokitesvara faith of the Empress, and that considers initially to be enshrined at Kondo hall of Amida Jodo-in in Hokke-ji is reasonable. Besides, because the wind expression and the mandola design of the Hoke-ji statue show the characteristic of the eleven-headed Avalokitesvara faith of the Empress Kōmiyoukougou, these unique expressions are considered to be the result of the imitating style that already applied to the central figure of Shibichudai Ekadasamukha. Therefore, as the previous scholars have assumed it is probable that the Hoke-ji image was still an imitation of the eleven-headed Avalokiteshvara statue related to the Empress.