Crystal eye - Gyokugan

Crystals are set into the eyes of a Buddhist statue to give them a shine similar to that of a real human eye. The head of a statue is separated from the face, separate from the seams of the statue itself, and holes are made for the eyes by carving out the inside of the face, and thin pieces of crystal polished to the shape of lenses are placed in place. Silk or paper with pupils painted on the inside is placed on the inside and held down with cotton and then with pieces of wood. The abutments are secured all around with bamboo needles, but there are also examples where they are glued with lacquer. Gyoku eyes are said to have been invented by Unkei (died 1223), but they were already used in the Amida Triad at Chogakuji Temple in Nara in 1151 (Nihei 1). It is said that glass was used, but there are very few examples of glass being used except in the very early modern period.

[Akio Sato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏像の眼部に水晶をはめ込んで、実際の人間の眼(め)に近い輝きをもたせたもの。彫像の頭部を、像自体の矧(は)ぎ目とは別に、面部を割り離し、面部の内側を刳(く)って眼に穴をあけ、レンズ状に磨いた水晶の薄片を当て、内側に瞳(ひとみ)を描いた絹や紙をあてがって綿で押さえ、さらに木片で押さえる。この当て木は周囲から竹針で止めるが、漆で接着した例もある。玉眼は運慶（1223没）の創案ともいうが、それ以前、1151年（仁平1）の奈良・長岳寺阿弥陀(あみだ)三尊にすでに使用されている。俗説としてガラスを使ったともいうが、ガラスを使用した例は近世のごくわずかな例を除いてはない。

［佐藤昭夫］

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