Emperor Jinmu

Exhibited in the third Naikoku Kangyo Hakurankai (Domestic Industrial Exposition), this is a stately standing figure that continues the tradition of wood carving in Japan. Having fallen out of step with the trend of the times after World War II, however, it long lay forgotten.

After Japan’s reopening and restoration, the Meiji era sought to make the view of the country’s imperial history fit the ideology of the modern state. Accordingly, it was necessary for Emperor Jinmu to have been a great man who had actually once lived. This idea is embodied in this standing figure, which has stern features modeled after Emperor Meiji, holds a bow (missing) and arrows, as well as a sword, and stands squarely with a powerful body. The wood, too, is of the finest quality, and a single, thick hinoki cypress has been split in haf, carved out, and rejoined for the torso. A few additions have been made to the back. The different pieces of hinoki cypress used for the arms, meanwhile, have beautiful, straight grains. Since we see no traces of coloring, we may assume that Takenouchi relied only on the quality of the material and his skill to achieve his effect. Born in Edo, Takenouchi Kyuichi first learned the art of ivory carving. While studying wood carving in Nara, however, he met Ernest Fenollosa and Okakura Tenshin, who invited him to become the first professor of the sculpture course at the Tokyo Fine Arts School. From this standing figure, with its physique reminiscent of a guardian god at a temple gate, we can perceive not only the artist’s earnest efforts but also the tradition steadfastly continued by the sculptors of Buddhist statues in Nara through the nineteenth century. (Writer : Masato Satsuma Source : Selected Masterpieces from The University Art Museum, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music: Grand Opening Exhibition, The University Art Museum, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 1999)