VOX POPULI: Dazzled by the enigmatic smile of an ancient sculpture
Wanting to see a particular enigmatic smile in person, I traveled to the ancient Japanese capital of Nara.
My destination was the Nara National Museum, where the celebrated Asuka Period (592-710) 'Nyoirin Kannon,' or statue of Seated Bodhisattva with One Leg Pendent, was on display in a special feature exhibition titled 'Oh! Kokuho: Resplendent Treasures of Devotion and Heritage.' The statue went on display on May 20 when some of the exhibits were replaced.
To see the famed smile, one had to first complete a tour of the exhibition and see all the national treasures the museum had to offer.
Only then, could a visitor be led into a dazzling white room that made one feel as if they were stepping into an alternate universe.
There, in the center, materialized the 'kannon bosatsu'--or the goddess of mercy in Japanese Buddhism.
The plump middle finger of her right hand touched her chin. Her left foot was on a lotus flower. With her eyes lowered serenely, she seemed to be contemplating the salvation of humanity.
I had been told before that her face changed noticeably depending on the angle of view. That proved to be true.
Up close, she looked infinitely gentle. Scrutinized from afar, she gave the impression of being determined or intense.
This sculpture is made of wood, but its ebony sheen could have misled anyone into thinking it was metal. Everything about this treasure simply mesmerized me.
In fact, many people have been captivated by this Japanese version of 'The Thinker.' Philosopher Tetsuro Watsuji (1889-1960) extolled it as 'the crystallization, in the shape of a human body, of our deepest and commonest yearning for mercy.'
Photographer Ken Domon (1909-1990) put it much more simply: 'This is Japan's Madonna.'
Domon deemed this bosatsu as a woman, probably because it was the main object of worship at Chuguji temple, a nunnery in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture.
Originally, the statue was said to have been painted in bright colors and had a pectoral ornament. I learned this only after I left the museum, but that certainly did not detract from my appreciation for this treasure in any way.
A tanka poem by Yaichi Aizu (1881-1956) goes: 'Looking up a Buddha statue/ lost in a reverie/ then I heard the footsteps/ on the museum floor'
I was so immersed in the experience that I must have forgotten the time. When I 'came to,' so to speak, there were far more visitors around me than when I started.
I left the small white room with reluctance.
--The Asahi Shimbun, May 31
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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.
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