Understanding Japanese Buddhist Sculpture through Visual Comparison

A beginner’s guide to appreciating Buddha statues from a whole new perspective.

This book is an introductory guide to help you familiarize yourself with Buddhist sculpture, and the basic principal behind the book is understanding Buddhist sculpture through visual comparison. Avoiding explanations of Buddhist iconography, sculptural techniques, and the cultural and historical background of the works, this book aims to help you cultivate the ability to fully observe the expressiveness of Buddhist sculpture. By applying the steps and way of viewing recommended in this book, the impressions you have gained with your own eyes will leave a deeper impression in your mind, allowing you to make new discoveries each time you view a Buddhist statue, and also to deepen your appreciation. Armed with this book, you’ll find yourself consulting only the most basic information required as your own knowledge expands and you are guided to a more profound understanding of the world of Buddhist sculpture.