jouroku　丈六

KEY WORD :　art history / sculptures

A standard height for a Buddhist statue. Abbreviation of one *jou 丈 and six shaku 尺 (approximately 480 cm or 16 feet). 1 jou= 10 shaku: 1 shaku = 30 cm or 1 foot. A Buddhist image of this size is called jourokuzou 丈六像 or jourokubutsu 丈六仏. The height of a seated jouroku image is half of the standing figure, about 240cm (8 feet). According to Buddhist writings, an ordinary (Indian) man was four hasta (Jp: chuu 肘) tall, and Buddha is twice as tall as a man. In China one hasta was translated into two shaku, and thus Buddha became 16 shaku tall. A statue of a Buddha is in principle made in conformity with this standard. The great Buddha *daibutsu 大仏 is ten times as big as jouroku, and a hanjouroku 半丈六 image is half the height of jouroku. The principle image, honzson 本尊 of the earliest temple establishment in Japan, called Asuka Daibutsu 飛鳥大仏 of Houkouji 法興寺 (datable to 609) Nara, was made to the jouroku measure. Following this tradition, the principal statue in major Japanese temples is often of the jouroku size. One of the best example is the Amida Nyoraizou 阿弥陀如来像 in Byoudouin *Hououdou 平等院鳳凰堂 (1053), Kyoto.

REFERENCES:

*houryou 法量

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。