작품 상세

stamped on the lower left framed certificate by the appraisal committee of Shiko Munakata This work is one of the most celebrated pieces from 'Two Bodhisattvas and Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha', a seminal early series by Shiko Munakata, and was created in 1939. Munakata was deeply inspired by the statues of the Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha at Kofuku-ji Temple and set out to carve their forms. Although he originally intended to depict only the ten disciples, he added Samantabhadra and Manjusri in order to complete a twelve-piece series designed as a pair of six-panel folding screens. Due to his poor eyesight, Munakata did not strive to faithfully replicate visible forms; instead, he boldly carved only what moved his heart. This characteristic is particularly evident in his early works. In 'Two Bodhisattvas and Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha', too, the dynamic forms carved to the very edges of the woodblock and the meticulously arranged interplay of black and white result in highly striking compositions. 'Two Bodhisattvas and Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha' received significant international acclaim, winning the top prize in the print division at the São Paulo Biennale in 1955, and the International Print Grand Prize at the Venice Biennale in 1956. Munakata himself held a deep affection for this series, later remarking that the top entries in his self-described “Seven Wonders of Munakata” were all from this body of work. "Panel of Samantabhadra" is the most popular among the twelve works in the series. Depicting Samantabhadra, a symbol of compassion and practice, with a gentle gaze and graceful hand gestures, this masterpiece offers a profound sense of spiritual serenity to the viewer. Of the original woodblocks for 'Two Bodhisattvas and Ten Great Disciples of the Buddha', the blocks for "Panel of Samantabhadra" and "Panel of Manjusri" were destroyed during the war and later re-carved. The work presented here is an original impression from the first edition, carved in 1939, making it an exceptionally rare and valuable piece. Dimensions: sheet size : 104.2×56.0 cm image size : 100.6×52.2 cm