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Published by Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 1991, softcover, large format, French text, illustrated, 330 pages, condition: very good.
The Buddhist Pantheon in Japan - Collections of Émile Guimet refers both to a unique physical museum space in Paris (the Galleries of the Buddhist Pantheon) and to the seminal literary masterpiece written by Professor Bernard Frank, detailing the sacred works of art collected by Émile Guimet during his historic trip to Japan in 1876.
The Historical Collection of Émile Guimet: In 1876, at the beginning of the Meiji era, the Lyon industrialist Émile Guimet was commissioned by the French government to study the religions of Asia.
The acquisition: He assembled approximately 250 works of Japanese Buddhist and Shinto art, including wooden and bronze statues, paintings, and ritual objects.
The structure: The pieces are rigorously organized according to the hierarchy of traditional Buddhist temples. They are divided into six categories of deities, ranging from figures of saints and kings of knowledge to Bodhisattvas and Buddhas (such as the exceptional 12th-century Amida triad).
The objective: To create a "three-dimensional iconographic manual" to allow Westerners to gain a deeper understanding of Japanese spirituality and piety.
The Buddhist Pantheon in Japan: Collections of Émile Guimet, written by the eminent orientalist Bernard Frank, was first published in 1991 by the Réunion des Musées Nationaux.
This comprehensive scholarly catalogue of over 330 pages lists, describes, and places all the statues in the collection within their precise theological context.
This is a study of absolute precision, considered indispensable for anyone interested in the history of religions and the art of Japanese Buddhism.
The Galleries of the Buddhist Pantheon. The works brought back by Guimet are on display in Paris at an official annex of the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts.
The Hôtel Heidelbach: The collection is housed in this sumptuous private mansion located at 19 Avenue d'Iéna, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris.
The Zen Garden: The rear of the building houses a hidden 450 m² Japanese-inspired garden. Adorned with giant bamboo, stone slabs, and a pond, it also contains an authentic wooden pavilion used for traditional tea ceremonies.
