Item #89652 Suributsu of 100 Buddhas (Suributsu, also Surimono 摺物・刷物). Early Printing, Jōruriji Temple 浄瑠璃寺.
Suributsu of 100 Buddhas (Suributsu, also Surimono 摺物・刷物).
Suributsu of 100 Buddhas (Suributsu, also Surimono 摺物・刷物).
Suributsu of 100 Buddhas (Suributsu, also Surimono 摺物・刷物).

Suributsu of 100 Buddhas (Suributsu, also Surimono 摺物・刷物).

11. Item #89652

[Early Printing] Jōruriji Temple 浄瑠璃寺.

Suributsu of 100 Buddhas (Suributsu, also Surimono 摺物・刷物).

[Early Printing] Jōruriji Temple 浄瑠璃寺. Jōruriji Temple 浄瑠璃寺 [c.1100-1110 C.E.] Suributsu of 100 Buddhas (Suributsu 摺物, also Surimono 刷物). Single sheet woodblock printed suribotoke 摺仏 of seated Amida Buddha 阿弥陀 figures, printed from a hangi 版木 woodblock. Approximately 44 x 30 cm at its fullest points. In the early 12th century, an 11th century Yakushi temple 薬師寺 outside Nara, named Jōruriji 浄瑠璃寺, was rededicated to Amida and 9 statues of that Buddhist deity were carved and consecrated to stand in the main hall. It should be noted that the mid-11th century marked the transition to Mappō 末法, the age of degenerate law, when enlightenment was not possible by one's own efforts but a time where invoking the mercy of Amida, one could enter Paradise upon death. Hence there was much celebration of Amida and such of his "helpers" as the Boddhisattva, Kannon 観音. So, the installation of Amida statues in Jōruriji 浄瑠璃寺 would have been a matter of course at the time. Invoking the name of Amida was represented by the multiple iterations of his image on the printed sheets, placed into the statues forever. The statues are currently considered National Treasures of Japan. When the central figure was opened in the late Meiji period, about the turn of the 20th century (Heian statues being often hollow), it was found to contain a sheaf of printed Buddha images, so-called "suributsu". The Jōruriji examples (most were retained by the temple) are generally considered to be the oldest printed Buddha images and oldest printed illustrations in Japan which still exist. Woodblock was used for this "variety" consisting of paper printed from a single carved block with 100 Buddhas incised on it. There were also two other Jōruriji varieties (according to the great bookseller, Sorimachi Shigeo 反町茂雄 (also 茂夫) (1901-1991), as noted in his catalog 38 from 1971) consisting of a smaller group of Amida Buddhas printed repeatedly onto paper, perhaps stamped onto the sheet (inbutsu 印仏) and another suribotoke with 81 images. Our copy contains about 80 complete and near complete images of the original 100. It would appear that there is a similar copy at the MFA in Boston and a small fragment of another in the Art Museum of South Australia. Our copy also seems to still have signs of the triangular incised mark in the upper top margin which is a characteristic of the printed sheets. Although the sheet is delicate, as the paper is very thin, it nonetheless retains a remarkable durability.

Price: $12,000.00