Harvard studies Japan from ancient to modern
From ancient religious relics to present-day policy prescriptions to reverse demographic trends, researchers across the University are unraveling the mysteries of Japan. Ancient secrets revealed Some 80 years after a sculpture of the young Prince Shōtoku from Tokyo arrived in Boston, new research into the mysteries hidden deep inside this Buddhist icon will be revealed this spring at a new Harvard Art Museums exhibition. “Prince Shōtoku at Age Two” is a revered sculpture dating back to 1292. Known as “Japan’s Sakyamuni,” or historical Buddha, it is the oldest datable statue of its type in the world and the most admired for its quality and beauty. Made from Japanese cypress using an assembled woodblock method, “It’s spectacularly carved, the craftsmanship is exquisite,” said Rachel Saunders, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Associate Curator of Asian Art at the Harvard Art Museums, who’s leading the research team. A promised gift of Walter C. Sedgwick in memory of Ellery Sedgwick Sr....