Japanese Men, Women & Children Statues

Japanese statues are influenced by religion more than any other Japanese art form. Most Japanese statues throughout history have been produced as accessories to some form of worship, whether for Shinto animistic practices or Buddhism. This is especially true in the beginning of the 5th century when the majority of human figures depicted through Japanese statues were religious figures. These included the ceremonial primitive doll-like dogu, Buddha, and bodhisattvas. Most of these statues were made of bronze.

By the Muromachi period, Japanese portrait sculpture flourished both in religious and secular art. Sculptors began depicting Zen Buddhist masters and icons, while the art of creating Noh masks emerged.

During the Tokugawa or Edo period (1603-1868), statues became increasingly secular. The Japanese people became disinterested with Buddhism and instead began to form images of people from famous royal figures to geisha to everyday workers. These statues were made of bronze, wood, or porcelain. Today, even though the Japanese have learned Western techniques, Japanese sculptors choose to sculpt from materials in their environment. Therefore, most sculptures are made of wood.

Quick Facts

• Noh is a form of Japanese theater that has been performed since the 14th century. Actors in Noh theater wear masks, which are standard throughout all plays, in order to allude to a preexisting character or set of behaviors
• Many Japanese statues of people take the form of dolls, which were thought to have the ability to capture evil spirits. These figures were set out to protect children and were later destroyed in an annual ceremony
• One of the most famous Japanese sculptors is Unkei, who lived around 1150-1223. He was a devout Buddhist who specialized in traditional Buddhist sculpture. His claim to fame is his ability to create very detailed, dynamic, and even delicate largescale works