Canopy

It means a lid hung from the sky, and refers to a decorative covering placed over a Buddha statue or a guru. Since ancient times in India, there has been a custom of aristocrats always covering themselves with an umbrella cover when going out to avoid the strong sunlight, and it is believed that this came to be used as a Buddhist ornament. Early sutras explain that precious flowers and light transform into the cover, and it is written that the Buddha's white hairs transformed into a large seven-jeweled canopy that covered the sky. Many canopies in the shape of lotus flowers are ancient, and there are many of them from the time when there were no Buddhist statues in India to China, but later they gradually came to be expressed in square, hexagonal, octagonal, circular, and other shapes. Many of them have jewels hanging from the edges of the lid, a banner hanging from one corner, and are decorated with flowers, a tassel, jewels, garlands, and bells, as well as carvings of heavenly beings and sacred birds. Famous examples still existing in Japan include the Amida Buddha canopy in the Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple, the lotus-petal wooden canopy for the seated Acala statue at To-ji Temple (Kyoogokoku-ji Temple) (both national treasures), and the wooden canopies for the Shaka Triad, Amida Triad, and Medicine Buddha statue in the Golden Hall of Horyuji Temple (all national treasures). In later times, they were also hung on the ceilings of temple altars, to distinguish between the human canopy covering the ajari and the Buddha canopy covering the various deities.

[Masataka Eguchi]

The canopy seen in Western art is a translation of the Latin ciborium and the Italian baldacchino, and generally refers to a roof-like structure supported by four columns. The origin of the word ciborium comes from the Greek ciborion, which means "Egyptian lotus fruit," while the origin of the word baldacchino comes from brocade or gold from Baghdad. In ancient times, it was used to decorate the throne of the absolute god or king as a symbol of the universe, and was decorated accordingly. This tradition was also inherited in Christianity, where canopies were used not only for altars, but also for pulpits, thrones, bishop's seats, statues, and other objects in churches, and are often made of a wide variety of materials, including expensive wood, marble, metal, and fabric, and are often heavy and decorated with sculptures and crafts. The most luxurious example is the canopy of St. Peter's Basilica, designed by Bernini in the 17th century.

In a broader sense, it also includes secular furniture such as eaves seen on the facades of buildings and canopy beds. The English word canopy is also translated as canopy, but it has a broader meaning than baldacchino and is used for simple or temporary things.

[Natori Shiro]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

天に懸(か)けられた蓋(がい)の意で、仏像や導師の上にかざす装飾的な覆いをいう。古来からインドでは強い日射しを避けるため、貴人の外出にはつねに傘蓋(さんがい)で覆う習慣があり、これが仏教の荘厳具(しょうごんぐ)として用いられるに至ったとみられる。初期経文には、宝華(ほうげ)や光明(こうみょう)が化して蓋となると説き、仏の白毫(びゃくごう)が七宝の大蓋と化して天を覆ったと記されている。蓮華(れんげ)をかたどる天蓋は古いものに多く、インドの無仏像時代から中国に至るまで数多く存在するが、のちに、しだいに方形、六角、八角、円形などで表現されてくる。その多くは蓋の周辺に宝散を垂れ、片隅に幡(ばん)を懸け、華、宝綱、宝珠、瓔珞(ようらく)、鈴などで飾ったものや、天人、霊鳥などを彫刻したものがある。日本に現存する有名なものに平等院鳳凰堂(ほうおうどう)の阿弥陀仏(あみだぶつ)天蓋、東寺（教王護国寺）の不動明王坐像の蓮弁(れんべん)木造天蓋（ともに国宝）、法隆寺金堂の釈迦(しゃか)三尊像や阿弥陀三尊像、薬師如来像の木造天蓋（いずれも国宝）などがある。後世、寺院の礼盤(らいばん)の天井にもこれを懸け、阿闍梨(あじゃり)を覆う人天蓋と、諸尊を覆う仏天蓋とを区別している。

［江口正尊］

　西洋美術にみられる天蓋はラテン語のキボリウムciborium、イタリア語のバルダッキーノbaldacchinoの訳語で、一般に4本の柱で支えられた屋根状のものをさす。キボリウムの語源がギリシア語で「エジプトの睡蓮(すいれん)の実」を意味するキボリオンにあり、一方バルダッキーノの語源はバグダード産の錦(にしき)や金襴(きんらん)の意であるように、古代においては宇宙の象徴として絶対者たる神や王の玉座を飾るものであり、それにふさわしい装飾が施された。キリスト教においてもその伝統を受け継ぎ、祭壇のみならず、聖堂内の説教壇や玉座、司教座、彫像などの覆いも天蓋とよばれ、素材も高価な木材、大理石、金属、布と多岐にわたり、彫刻や工芸で飾られた重厚なものが多い。そのもっとも豪華な作例は、17世紀につくられたベルニーニ設計のサン・ピエトロ大聖堂の天蓋である。

　また広義には建造物のファサードなどにみられる庇(ひさし)や天蓋付きベッドなど、世俗の家具に用いられるものも含まれる。英語のカノピーcanopyも天蓋と訳されるが、バルダッキーノよりもっと意味が広く、簡易なものや仮設的なものにも用いる。

［名取四郎］

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