Clothing/Drapery Worn by Buddhist Deities in Japan

[Mark Schumacher]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post, so please forgive me
in advance if I have done something wrong.

QUESTION ABOUT CLOTHING/DRAPERY
In Japan, deities such as Zao Gongen, the NIO (Agyo/Ungyo), and
Fujin/Raijin (wind & thunder gods) have a "ribbon-like" piece
of clothing that flows/drapes around their heads. Is there any
specific meaning for this "ribbon-like" drapery?

MY OWN MUSINGS
My gut instinct is that the flowing "ribbon-like" design
represents the power of thunder, lightning, and wind -- and we
must remember too that the NIO (agyo & ungyo) are translated
often as the "thunderbolt holders."

Elsewhere, the same type of drapery is found in artwork of Fujin and Raijin. Fujin is the god of wind, and Raijin is a the god of thunder, who are depicted in Chinese legends. Both are thought to live above the clouds. Fujin is usually depicted as a muscled man with a big cloth sack, which is filled with wind. When he opens his sack, a blast of wind escapes.

Raijin (or Raiden) is usually depicted as a muscled man with a series of drums around him, with which he made the rumbling of thunder. A legend of Chinese Buddhism says that the two gods were originally evil demons who opposed Buddha. So Buddha ordered his heavenly army to capture the two demons. After a severe battle between the demons and Buddha's 33 protector gods, the two demons were finally captured. They have been working for Buddha ever since. Raijin (or Raiden) got his name from the two Japanese words "rai" for thunder and "den" for lightening. According to Japanese legend he saved Japan from a fleet of invading Mongolians in 1274 AD. Raijin managed this feat by sitting on a cloud and throwing a shower of lightening arrows against the Mongolian fleet.

Photo Examples of Raijin and Fujin, please see:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/28-bushu-kannon.shtml#windthunder
*** Scroll downward to see examples of the ribbon-like cloth. **

Photo Examples of the NIO (Agyo/Ungyo)
http://buddhist-artwork.com/html/nio-pair-k.html

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated. For those who are interested,
I have created a page about DRAPERY on Japanese Buddhist Statuary at
the below address:

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/drapery-robes-japan-buddha-statues.html

sincerely and gassho
from first-time poster
mark in kamakura

[Bernhard Scheid]

Dear Mark,

let me first express (once again) my admiration for your ever growing
website, which, I am sure, many PMJS members have already stumbled upon
when surfing on the internet. Regarding the connection of the ribbon
with lightening as suggested in your musings, I think the problem boils
down to the question whether the vajra of the Nio can be rightfully
translated as "thunderbolt" or not. If so, this would imply that
lightening and thunder were always part of the vajra symbolism: In this
case it can be easily imagined that other iconographic items of the
"vajra bearers" (Kongō rikishi) such as the ribbon are also part of this
symbolism (the clouds?/ the wind?) and were transferred from here to
similar figures. However, the equation vajra = thunderbolt seems to be
the result of modern comparative religion that found similarities
between Indra (supposedly the first "vajra bearer") and Zeus/Thor,
holder of a "thunderbolt". Even if such a relation ever existed, or
else, even if thunder and lightening were indeed the original emblems of
a patriarchal deity common to several Eurasian religions, the question
still remains whether that symbolism was also taken over by Buddhism and
carried on to East Asia. In other words, are there any Buddhist texts
that confirm such symbolism? If not, I would rather hesitate to
translate vajra as "thunderbolt". More information on that point would
be indeed very interesting.

Greetings

Bernhard Scheid

Mark Schumacher wrote (12.06.2008 11:31):
> Hi Everyone,
>
> This is my first post, so please forgive me
> in advance if I have done something wrong.
>

> *QUESTION ABOUT CLOTHING/DRAPERY
> *In Japan, deities such as Zao Gongen, the NIO (Agyo/Ungyo), and

> Fujin/Raijin (wind & thunder gods) have a "ribbon-like" piece
> of clothing that flows/drapes around their heads. Is there any
> specific meaning for this "ribbon-like" drapery?
>

> *MY OWN MUSINGS
> *My gut instinct is that the flowing "ribbon-like" design

[Mark Schumacher]

Dear Bernhard-sama,

Thanks for your response.
The plot thickens. Gabi Greve just
reminded me of a page I made long ago:

http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/karyoubinga.html

Above page is all about the TENNIN 天人 (Sanskrit = Apsaras),
or Angelic Attendants, Celestial Maidens, Divine Fairies,
Flying Apsaras, and Flying Celestial Maidens that adorn
Buddhist artwork throughout Asia. They usually wear light
and floating celestial garments, embellished with scarves
of gauze (Jp. = Tenne 天衣 or 纏衣).

Images of the Flying Apsaras at the Dunhuang 敦煌 Caves in China
and on the murals at Horyuji Temple in Nara depict these
apsaras with long flowing "ribbon-like" garments.
Wow. So the actual design motif goes back to at
least the 7th century. But when they started being
used for NIO statues, Zao Gongen, and statues of Fujin/Raijin
(wind/thunder gods) remains unclear.

MORE ABOUT TENNE FROM JAANUS:
http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/t/tenne.htm
A long, narrow strip of ornamental cloth,
found on images of bosatsu 菩薩 and tenbu 天部.
The tenne is draped across the shoulders, and hangs down
on both sides of the figure. It is sometimes wound around
the loins and over the arms, before dropping down to the pedestal.
Many Kannon 観音 statues are shown wearing tenne, for example
the standing Juuichimen Kannon 十一面観音, in Shourinji
聖林寺, Nara (8c). 

bye now
mark

At 14:52 08/06/12 +0200, you wrote:

Dear Mark,

let me first express (once again) my admiration for your ever growing
website, which, I am sure, many PMJS members have already stumbled upon
when surfing on the internet. Regarding the connection of the ribbon
with lightening as suggested in your musings, I think the problem boils
down to the question whether the vajra of the Nio can be rightfully
translated as "thunderbolt" or not. If so, this would imply that
lightening and thunder were always part of the vajra symbolism: In this
case it can be easily imagined that other iconographic items of the

"vajra bearers" (Kongナ�rikishi) such as the ribbon are also part of this

[Helen Moss]

This is just an observation off the top of my head, but isn't that the best way to give motionless depictions of heavenly beings an illusion of effortless flight?  At least that looks like what a scarf would do in motion.

 

Thanks! (and how nice to be in Kamakura, Mark <sigh>)

[Mark Schumacher]

Hello PMJS Group

Essentially, I've found a "basic" answer to my question about the use of
ribbon-like drapery (Jp. = TENNE) on Japanese statuary. Thanks go to both
Gabi Greve and Bernhard Scheid (I've been communicating with them offline).
Nonetheless, I still remain somewhat unsure of its original iconographic
meaning. The TENNE style is found on both 7th century TENNIN murals (in
China & Japan) and on 8th century NIO statuary in Japan. Does it represent
"flight?" If so, why is it used for fierce deities like the NIO? Photos of
above-mentioned art appear in the links presented at end of message).

PRELIMINARY FINDINGS

TENNE. In Japan, the use of ribbon-like drapery (TENNE) can be traced back
to the 7th & 8th centuries. Scarves of gauze, or a ribbon-like strip of
narrow and ornamental cloth, found frequently on images of the Tennin
(Sanskrit = Apsaras) -- more commonly known as Angelic Attendants,
Celestial Musicians, Divine Fairies, Flying Apsaras, or Flying Celestial
Maidens (Jp. = Hiten). Images of these celestial beings adorn Buddhist
artwork throughout Asia. Two important examples are the Flying Apsaras at
the Dunhuang Caves in China (dating from the 4th century AD onward) and the
7th to 8th century murals at Horyuji Temple in Nara (Japan). In both
locations, they are depicted wearing light and floating celestial garments,
embellished with scarves of gauze.

Says JAANUS: Tenne are long, narrow strips of ornamental cloth, found on
images of Bosatsu and Tenbu. The Tenne is draped across the shoulders, and

hangs down on both sides of the figure. It is sometimes wound around the
loins and over the arms, before dropping down to the pedestal. Many Kannon

statues are shown wearing Tenne, for example the 8th-century standing
Juichimen Kannon at Shorinji Temple in Nara. <end JAANUS quote>
www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/t/tenne.htm

This flowing drapery style also appears in 8th-century statuary of the
Japanese Nio (see photos in first link below). A 9th-century example with
the 11-Headed Kannon is also well known. In later centuries, the same
ribbon-like cloth appeared on statuary of the Gods of Wind and Thunder
(Fujin and Raijin) and other deities.

Says Bernhard Scheid (in a friendly and casual email exchange): "Perhaps it
is wrong to look for one clear-cut symbolism for the ribbon drapery style
(e.g. clouds or flying). If you look at the diverse fierce deities at
Himalayanart.org (Mahakala, Vajrapani, etc.), the tenne ribbon is a common
item. Also, in a volume on Mahakala (Daikoku) by Iyanaga Nobumi (Hozokan
2002), I found several similar representations of Daikoku or rather
Makakara-ten as well as Bishamonten with a ribbon. I wonder whether this is
not one of the rare items Bodhisattva (mild mannered Buddhist entities) and
Myo-o (fierce entities) have in common, thus pointing to their fundamental
identity as protectors and saviors. Isn't it somewhat contraindicative to
the otherwise bold and manly figures of the Myo-o? By contrast, oni
(demons) in Buddhist hell couldn't be imagined with tenne, could they?"
<end Bernhard Scheid message>

RELATED LINKS
www.onmarkproductions.com/html/drapery-robes-japan-buddha-statues.html#tenne
(PHOTOS)
www.onmarkproductions.com/html/karyoubinga.html (TENNIN)
www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/t/tenne.htm (JAANUS, TENNE)
http://www.himalayanart.org (Himalayan Art, FIERCE DEITIES)