Abstract
In 1964 I proposed hypothetically three points ; (1) the type (a) of the shikorobuki roof which consists of deep eaves extended widely around a gabled roof is a prototype of the type (b) of the irimoyazukuri which consists of a hipped-and-gabled roof ; (2) then the Tamamushi Shrine of the type (a) proceeds the Golden Hall of the type (b) in the Horyu-ji temple collection ; (3) the type (a) is one of the important features of the Asuka style and the type (b) is one of these of the Hakuho style. In this paper I report five points that can confirm this hypothesis mostly taken from the new discoveries through my recent reseach of the Dunhuang wall painting in April 1979. I. In the Dunhuang wall paintings the type (a) appears in the cave 285 dated the 4th year of Datung (538) and is found in large numbers at the ceiling of the cave in the Northern Zhou period (556-81). But later in the Sui and the early Tang period this type disappears and makes place for the type (b). II. In China up to the period of Western Wei (439-534) the wall paintings show a densely filled-up space with objects placed at random on a heavy sepia-color ground. But this style makes place for that of a light, transparent and boundless space expression. And the painting style of figures changes from what is emerged from the Central Asia, to the traditional one. III. The story of the Xibeijiezhuan in the Liang-shu (History of the Liang-dynasty) tells us that the virtue of the Emperor Wu of Liang and the culture of the southern dynasties at his reign had already spread over to Central Asian countries. From this we can infer that along with the influx of the type (a) there is also an influence of the southern dynasties. IV. The origin of the roof of the type (a) can be safely said to be the rainy area of the south rather than the dry area of the north because of its deep-eavedness. V. Besides, a bamboo grove which grows on the southern banks of the Yangzu river (Jiangnan) is painted in the wall painting at the cave 285 which depicts the Buddha's life, and the same type of bamboo grove is found in a scene "Prince Makasatta feeding hungry tigers with his own body" on the Tamamushi Shrine. Thus, we can infer that the art of the Tamamushi Shrine is traced back to Liang of the southern dynasties and that it gave an influence to Japan through Paekche in Korea which had a close cultural connection with Liang China.
