Overview

This volume, the first in Brill's Japanese Visual Culture series, vividly describes the efforts of the Japanese monk Shunjobo Chogen (1121-1206) to restore major buildings and works of art lost in a brutal civil conflict in 1180. Through meticulous study of dedicatory material, Rosenfield is able to place the splendid Buddhist statues made for Chogen in new light. The volume also explores how Japan's rulers employed the visual arts as instruments of government policy - a tactic that recurs throughout the nation's history. This publication includes an annotated translation of Chogen's memoir, completed near the end of his life, in which he recounts his many achievements. While Chogen has been the subject of major art exhibitions and extensive research in Japan; this is the first book-length study to appear in the West.

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9789004168640

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Reviews

... This excellent book is a rarity in that Rosenfield's clear writing and careful explanations make this complex topic accessible to nonspecialists while concurrently, his use of diverse primary sources, including Chogen's own memoir (translated in an appendix), distinguishes it as an invaluable resource for specialists as well. Patricia J Graham, University of Kansas, Religious Studies Review, Vol 37 No 3 (September 2011) The title of this book gives only a hint of the scope of this masterly study. Sir Hugh Cortazzi, The Japan Society Review, Issue 33 Volume 6 Number 3 (June 2011) Written in a clear, accessible, and engaging style, Rosenfield's study is a fascinating read both for non-specialists and for scholars of the art and religion of Japan. Ive E. Covaci, Fairfield University, CAAreviews.org, College Art Association, October 24, 2012

Author Information

John Rosenfield, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Professor of Oriental Art Emeritus, Harvard University. Professor Rosenfield has published extensively on Japanese art.

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