Metals and metal-working in old Japan . of the temple Horyuji (near Nara, Yamato) areseveral bronze statues of Indian origin of Buddhist saints anddivinities, and a curious ewer, all of which are said to havebeen in the possession of the temple from the date of itserection in the early part of the seventh century. Thecharacteristic pose of the figures, the modelling of theirfeatures, and their jewelled headdresses, have been frequentlycopied with more or less modification, and can be distinctlytraced in many ancient Japanese statues, as well as in someof comparatively modern times. This ewer,
Metals and metal-working in old Japan . of the temple Horyuji (near Nara, Yamato) areseveral bronze statues of Indian origin of Buddhist saints anddivinities, and a curious ewer, all of which are said to havebeen in the possession of the temple from the date of itserection in the early part of the seventh century. Thecharacteristic pose of the figures, the modelling of theirfeatures, and their jewelled headdresses, have been frequentlycopied with more or less modification, and can be distinctlytraced in many ancient Japanese statues, as well as in someof comparatively modern times. This ewer, a bronze casting of graceful form, is decoratedwith figures of winged horses of the form of the Pegasus ofthe ancients. According to Longperier (Gonse, LArt Japonais) it isundoubtedly Sassanian, and of earlier date than the seventhcentury. An illustration is given of it in the handbook ofthe ancient articles in the temple. During this epoch, especially that part of it which hasbeen styled the Nara Period (the seven reigns during which. SAKYA TRINITY iKondo ot 1 1 , uple). Japan Society: Transactions. Vol. XIII.— METALS AND METAL WORKING IN OLD JAPAN.—Goxvland. [P\ateXXl].—face p. 68. ( 69 ) Nara was the capital, yog to 784), the great development inbronze-founding was not the only advance made in theworking of metals ; but the art of incised and repousse workin gilt copper, which had been practised during the DolmenPeriod, was brought to a stage of perfection beyond which ithas never passed. The examples contained in the following list I haveselected as representative specimens of the art of bronze-founding during this period (seventh and eighth centuries). One of the most important of the ancient bronzes is theseated figure of Yakushi, the /Esculapius of Japan, in thetemple Yakushiji, near Nara. The image is of gilt bronze,about nine feet in height, and has on its right and left theminor divinities Nikko and Gwakko. The date of theTrinitv is about the end of the seventh
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