Portrait Sculpture
Portrait sculptures are representations of specific individuals. Although many are no doubt faithful to the actual appearance of their subjects, they include portraits of certain historical personages whose appearance is unverifiable in cases where sculptors of a later time did not have the opportunity to meet their subjects personally. Several excellent works of this genre date from as early as the 8th century. Especially notable are the Nara period sculptures of the monk Gyoshin (in the Dream Hall of Horyuji Temple) and of the Chinese monk Ganjin (at Toshodaiji Temple), as well as the Heian period sculpture of the monk Roben (at Todaiji Temple).
The highly nuanced and realistic Kamakura-period portrait sculpture of the monk Chogen at Todaiji Temple is particularly famous, as are the portraits of the Indian religious masters Mujaku and Seshin produced for the Kofukuji Temple by Unkei. In the Muromachi period, Zen Buddhism became very popular, and so did the carving of portraits of superior Zen monks. Such portrait sculptures of Zen monks, known as chinzo chokoku, are appreciated for the high level of "spirituality" achieved in expressing the personal characters of their subjects. Particularly well-known are the portrait sculptures of Ikkyu at Shuon'an Temple in Kyoto Prefecture and the portrait sculpture of Muso Kokushi at Zuisenji Temple in Kamakura.
