butsugan　仏龕

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

Also gan 龕. A niche carved out of a wall for the purpose of installing a Buddhist image, or a miniature Buddhist shrine *butsudan 仏壇, *zushi 厨子. The butsugan originated in Indian and Chinese cave temples, where alcoves containing statues were carved out of the rock surface. Different names are used according to the shape of the niche: the senkyougan 尖拱龕 has a pointed arch; the bikyougan び拱龕 has a lintel; and the yakatagan 屋形龕 is house-shaped. In Japan the term butsugan also refers to small shrines of stone or wood, made for private worship, called butsudan or zushi. They conserve the form of the cave butsugan; a niche containing a statue *ganzou 龕像, carved in relief.

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