soshi　祖師

KEY WORD :　art history / iconography

Important Buddhist teachers, high priests, and founders of Buddhist sects; often worshipped by followers. Statues and paintings of soshi soshizou 祖師像 were enshrined in special halls called *kaisandou 開山堂, *soshidou 祖師堂 or *mieidou 御影堂. Many were realistic depictions showing individual characteristics, while others were idealized images. Popular subjects included the six priests of the Hossou 法相 sect *Hossou Rokuso 法相六祖, the five patriarchs of the Joudo 浄土 sect, eight patriarchs of the Shingon 真言 sect *Shingon Hasso 真言八祖, and Zen 禅 figures like Bodhidharma *Daruma 達磨. Good examples of soshizou include images of Shoutoku Taishi *Shoutoku Taishizou 聖徳太子像 such as two 11c statues in Houryuuji 法隆寺; the portrait of Keika 恵果, a patriarch of the Shingon sect, in Jingoji 神護寺, Kyoto; and the standing figure of *Nichiren 日蓮 in Joukouin 浄光院, Chiba prefecture.

REFERENCES:

*chinsou 頂相, *miei 御影

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。