投稿者:鈴木小太郎 投稿日:2008年 3月22日(土)02時41分25秒
それでは、私も参考までにインターナショナル・ヘラルド・トリビューンの記事を引用してみます。
英語の苦手な方も、仏像の写真の下の「Listen to Article」をクリックすれば、聞きやすい速さで読んでくれるので、何となく意味は分かるのではないかと思います。
ま、ときどき、ダイニチ・ナイアライ、トキギ県、ムロマキ時代、アシカガ・ヨシケインといった難解な用語は混じりますが。
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The curious story of a Japanese Buddhist sculpture of the late 12th century sold on Tuesday at Christie's for $14.37 million, more than six times the highest estimate quoted in the catalogue, proves that in art history things are not always what they seem.
The seated figure carved out of cypress wood represents the supreme Buddha of esoteric Buddhism known in Japanese as the Dainichi Nyorai. Its existence was first made known to the public in 2003 in one of the most brilliant commercial coups pulled off in recent years.
As recounted in Christie's catalogue, the operation began with "the good fortune" of "a private collector" of Buddhist statuary who happened to come across the sculpture "in a countryside antique shop."(中略)
Part Three in the building up of Unkei's masterpiece was Christie's brilliant marketing. This included the deft presentation of the discovery in the catalogue entry. The "current owner" it noted, "believes it probably came from a Buddhist temple during the Meiji period (1868-1911), when the government officially adopted Shinto as the state religion." Sure enough, in those days of ultra-nationalism Buddhism, which has its roots in India, reached Japan via the East Iranian world, and soon came under the influence of the Chinese versions of Buddhism (the Japanese word Zen is the pronunciation of the Chinese Chan) was perceived as a foreign intrusion.(中略)
This presentation, added to what is beyond doubt a strikingly remarkable sculpture of the late 12th century, whoever actually carved it, worked wonders. The Japanese in particular were fascinated. Curiously, no one appears to have asked why the statue was not registered by the authorities as "Important Cultural Property." That is the case with the Kotokuji Dainichi, now apparently demoted from its status as the documented statue commissioned by an Ashikaga resident.
On Tuesday beauty and vigor enhanced by clever if unproven hypothesis sent the statue soaring to a world record price for any Japanese work of art. Guess who bought the reconstructed Kotokuji Dainichi: A museum? A Buddhist temple? The buyer, Christie's announced, was the Mitsukoshi Department Store. Eastern mystery proved unfathomable right to the end.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/19/arts/melik20.php?page=1
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また、クリスティーズのホームページでは、大日如来関係のプレスリリースも出ていますね。
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New York - In today’s sale of Japanese and Korean Art, a newly discovered wood sculpture of Dainichi Nyorai, the supreme Buddha, attributed to the sculptor Unkei achieved $14,377,000, exceeding its presale estimate of $1,500,000-2,500,000. It set new world auction records including record for Japanese art, and any Asian work of art sold in New York. This price largely surpasses the previous record of $1.76 million realized by a Rakuchu Rakugai screen, sold in October 1990 at Christie’s New York. The Dainichi Nyorai Buddha was bought by the Japanese company, Mitsukoshi Co Ltd.
Katsura Yamaguchi, International Director of Japanese and Korean Art said, “History was made today with the phenomenal result of $14,377,000, which is a testament to the extreme importance and beauty of this supreme Buddha, and elevates Japanese art to a new record level. We witnessed enormous interest from clients worldwide who traveled from near and far to visit the exhibition at Christie’s and participate in this landmark sale.”
http://www.christies.com/presscenter/pdf/03192008/102216.pdf
http://www.christies.com/home_page/home_page.asp
今日は眠いので、レスは明日書きます。
すみませぬ。