日本藥師寺金堂藥師三尊像與相關唐代佛教造像研究=A Study on the Triad of Buddhist Statues in the Main Hall of the Yakushi-ji Temple in Japan and Similar Statues from the Tang Dynasty
This paper presents a comparative research on the form, style, and dates of the triad of Buddhist statues in the main hall of the Yakushi-ji Temple in Japan and similar statues from the Tang dynasty. The author also uses this Buddhist artwork as an entry into discussing how Tang dynasty culture was adopted in Japan. This triad of statues closely resembles the statuary of both the later Wu-Zhou dynasty （the period ruled by Empress Wu Zetian） and a slightly later era of the Tang dynasty, which indicates that Japanese officials took a positive attitude toward absorbing Chinese Tang dynasty culture at around this time. For these reasons, it can safely be concluded that these three statues were made after 718 when the Yakushi-ji Temple were moved to Heijokyo. Meanwhile, it is also noteworthy that the style and form of the statues were not entirely imitative of the statuary of the Tang dynasty, as China and Japan held different understandings of Buddhist imagery at the time.
