<論説>中国仏像の源流

Abstract

中国の仏像がインドにもとづいてゐることはいふまでもない。それはガンダーラ様式の仏像であった。しかし、一度つたはったら、そのままそれがつづくといふわけのものではない。イソドと中国との交渉は、宗教の宣布、求道といふばかりでなく、経済的にもたえずあったから、たびたびその影響をかうむって、その都度ちがった形式の源流となった。とともに、両者を通じた共通の傾向をもったことは、大きく人類史の存在を暗示するものがある。

It is well known that Chinese Buddhist statuary had its origins in India. Chinese images were of the Gandhara style. But though this style was transmitted to China, it was not to continue in its original form. Relations between India and China did not consist of religious missions and pilgrimages alone, but also included frequent economic exchange, with its influence acting, on occasion, as a source of changing forms of imagery. The fact that through such relations between the two countries certain tendencies were shared between them is indicative of the existence of a genuine history of the human race.