Taizou zuzou　胎蔵図像

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

A collection of iconographical line drawings *hakubyou 白描 in handscroll form reflecting a primitive form of the *Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅. The original version brought from China to Japan by Enchin 円珍 (814-91) has been lost, and the copies kept at the Nara National Museum (2 fasc.) and Daitoukyuu 大東急 Library (fasc. 1 only) date from 1194 and 1274 respectively. It is considered to derive from the traditions of Shanwuwei (Jp: Zenmui 善無畏; Sk: Subhakarasimha ;637-735), who introduced to China the Esoteric Buddhism mikkyou 密教 of the DAINICHIKYOU 大日経 (Sk:Vairocanabhisambodhi sutra/Mahavairocana sutra; Taishou No.848 ), and it reflects an early form of the Taizoukai mandara predating the development of the *Genzu mandara 現図曼荼羅. The complete version kept at Nara National Museum depicts 324 deities, almost three times as many as the approximately 120 deities mentioned in the DAINICHIKYOU. It has been shown by Ishida Hisatoyo 石田尚豊 that the additional deities were taken primarily from the FUKUUKENJAKU JINPENSHINGONKYOU 不空羂索神変真言経 (Taishou No.1092) and ICHIJIBUTCHOU RINNOUKYOU 一字仏頂輪王経 (Taishou No.951), and since the majority of these were also incorporated into the Genzu mandara, the Taizou zuzou represents a valuable source of material for clarifying the evolution of the Genzu mandara. Because it was carefully preserved as a rare work brought to Japan by Enchin and not generally made public, it exerted little influence on subsequent Buddhist iconography in Japan, but in recent years it has been confirmed that a number of its illustrations were copied in other works.

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