{"product_id":"shotoku-taishi-als-sechzehnjahriger-聖徳太子-anonym-ca-1850","title":"Prince Shōtoku at Sixteen 聖徳太子 | anonymous | ca. 1850","description":"\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThere is no Japanese person who would not know Shōtoku Taishi (607-672). Previously, his likeness adorned the 10,000 yen note. Every year, at the beginning of April, the most magnificent performance of court dances (\u003cem\u003ebugaku\u003c\/em\u003e) takes place at the Shitenō Temple in Osaka as part of an important Buddhist ceremony honoring the anniversary of his death.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eShōtoku Taishi is considered the political and spiritual father of the Japanese nation. Before Japan connected with the world cultures of China (and Korea), it was an archipelago consisting of hundreds of small principalities. Shōtoku Taishi's goal was to create a superior state entity that would be able to reach China's cultural level. He knew that the key to this was Buddhism. With this in mind, he greatly promoted this religion, because Buddhism not only introduced a new world explanation and metaphysics to Japan, but also sciences such as medicine, engineering, architecture, and various arts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe reverence for this cultural father of the nation went so far that he was revered as a child prodigy – even as a boy, he was said to have demonstrated extraordinary abilities. As a sixteen-year-old, Shōtoku Taishi is said to have prayed for his sick father, Emperor Yōmei, and lit incense for him at the temple, which served as a model for Confucian filial piety (\u003cspan lang=\"EN-US\" style=\"font-family: 'MS Gothic'; mso-bidi-font-family: 'MS Gothic';\"\u003e孝\u003c\/span\u003ekō) towards his father. In this portrait, he carries an incense burner, such as is still used today by Buddhist priests. His hair is styled in a boy's haircut to emphasize that this is a youth and not yet the adult statesman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe high reverence accorded to Shōtoku Taishi is also evident in the pedestal on which he stands: the base almost resembles an altar retable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe painting was damaged, and all gold parts had to be replaced. The original silk mounting is particularly precious – it is of unparalleled splendor – and the roller end pieces are decorated with finely embossed brass. The original box is also very special: it is made of ebony (\u003cem\u003ekokutan\u003c\/em\u003e), the most expensive wood in Japan.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Guignard Kyoto Collection","offers":[{"title":"48cm x 165cm \/ Paper","offer_id":55927420518785,"sku":"220112 AAB3","price":4800.0,"currency_code":"CHF","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0751\/3092\/9452\/files\/IMG_7010.jpg?v=1784287784","url":"https:\/\/guignard-kyoto-collection.ch\/en\/products\/shotoku-taishi-als-sechzehnjahriger-%e8%81%96%e5%be%b3%e5%a4%aa%e5%ad%90-anonym-ca-1850","provider":"Guignard Kyoto Collection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}