Yasunao - Kojo

Japanese: 康尚 - こうじょう

Years of birth: unknown. A Buddhist sculptor from the mid-Heian period. Said to be the father or teacher of Jocho. Also written as Jo, Tsune, Aki, Sei, Masa, Hirosho, and Yoshitsune. One of the leading Buddhist sculptors from the mid-Heian period, highly valued by Fujiwara no Michinaga and Gyōnari, he was involved in the creation of statues for the Imperial Court, the Sekkanke family, and Mount Hiei and Mount Koya. He first appeared in records in 991 (Shoreki 2) when he created the 18-foot-tall Shaka statue at Gidarin-ji Temple, and in 998 (Chōtoku 4), he was appointed as a Tosa lecturer. He also appears to have been an Omi lecturer when creating the 18-foot-tall Maitreya Buddha at Seki-ji Temple around 1018 (Kannin 2). His name is often found in Michinaga's Mido Kanpakuki and Gyōnari's Gonki, but the last record of him is in 1018 (Kannin 4), when he was ordered by Michinaga to create the nine Amida statues at Muryōju-in Temple in Hojō-ji Temple. His work, the Maitreya statue at Nakaseki-ji Temple, is a large statue measuring 150 cm in circumference and is considered one of the Three Great Buddhas, along with the Great Buddha at Todai-ji Temple and the Great Buddha at Chishiki-ji Temple, and is considered a monumental statue of the time. On the other hand, the seated Acala statue at Doju-in Temple in Tofuku-ji Temple, said to be the principal image of the Godaido Hall at Hossho-ji Temple, which was erected in 1005 to celebrate Michinaga's 40th birthday, is believed to be one of the few remaining pieces, and the gentle style shown in its front view can be said to have paved the way for the Jocho style of the next generation. He also invented the inseam construction method to produce large quantities of Buddhist statues quickly through division of labor, and this was also completed by Jocho. Furthermore, Kosho was the first Buddhist sculptor to be appointed as an instructor due to his achievements in sculpting, which led to an improvement in the social status of Buddhist sculptors thereafter. <References> Shinichi Tani, "The Biography of Kangnao as a Preface to the Theory of Jocho - As a Section of the Study of Wooden Buddhist Sculptors Throughout the Ages" (Bijutsu Kenkyu, No. 48), Tsuyoshi Kobayashi, "The Great Buddhist Sculptor Jocho" (Studies on Japanese Sculptors), Tadashi Inoue, "The Seated Statue of Acala at Dojuin Temple, Tofukuji" (Kokuka, No. 848), Hisashi Mori, "Kangnao and Jocho" (Studies on the History of Japanese Buddhist Sculpture), Tsuguhito Tanaka, "The Formation of Buddhist Sculptors and the Buddhist Sculptor Kangnao" (Studies on Ancient Japanese Buddhist Sculptors)

(Kazuharu Asai)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

生年：生没年不詳
平安中期の仏師。定朝の父または師と伝えられる。康成(浄,常,昭,聖,昌),広尚,好常とも書く。藤原道長や行成に重用された平安中期屈指の仏師で,宮廷,摂関家をはじめ比叡山や高野山関係の造像にも携わった。正暦2(991)年祇陀林寺の丈六釈迦像の造立で初めて記録に現れ,長徳4(998)年には土佐講師に任じられ,また寛仁2(1018)年ごろの関寺5丈弥勒仏の造像に際しては近江講師とみえる。その後,道長の『御堂関白記』や行成の『権記』にしばしばその名が認められるが寛仁4年に,道長の命により法成寺無量寿院の九体阿弥陀像を定朝と共に造立したのが最後の記録である。彼の作品中関寺の弥勒像は,東大寺大仏,智識寺の大仏と並ぶ三大仏と称された周尺5丈の大像であり,当時の記念碑的な造像とみなされる。一方,寛弘2(1005)年に道長四十賀を祝って建てられた法性寺五大堂の本尊と伝えられる,東福寺同聚院不動明王坐像は,数少ない遺品と推定され,その正面観に示された穏やかな作風は,次代の定朝様式を準備するものといえる。また分業により大量に,かつ迅速に仏像を制作するため寄木造を創案するが,これも定朝により完成をみることになる。さらに康尚は,造像の功により講師に任じられた最初の仏師であり,これが以後,仏師の社会的地位の向上をもたらすきっかけとなった。<参考文献>谷信一「定朝論の序としての康尚伝―歴世木仏師研究の一節として―」(『美術研究』48号),小林剛「大仏師定朝」(『日本彫刻作家研究』),井上正「東福寺同聚院不動明王坐像」(『国華』848号),毛利久「康尚と定朝」(『日本仏教彫刻史の研究』),田中嗣人「仏師の形成と仏師康尚」(『日本古代仏師の研究』)

(浅井和春)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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