HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Japanese aristocrats from at least mid-eighth century customarily had
gardens near their homes. During the Heian period (794-1185) a somewhat
standard type of garden matured in concert with the shinden type of
courtier mansion. Later in the Heian period, with the increased
popularity of Pure Land Buddhism, the shinden style of architecture and
garden was suited to the construction of temples that were created to be
representations on earth of Amida's paradise in the western realm of the
universe. During the medieval age, the Japanese began experimenting in
unique and abstract ways with the use of rocks, although still maintaining
such features of their traditional garden as the pond, stream, and
artificial island. From then on, rocks of varying shapes and textures
were increasingly used to represent both natural formations and man-made
structures, such as mountains, cliffs, waterfalls, and bridges. In
addition, sand and white pebbles were employed as "water" and therefore,
in some works, the pond was eliminated, which for many centuries had been
the central highlight of the Japanese garden.
It was during and after the Higashiyama epoch (second half of the
fifteenth century) that the greatest of the medieval dry rock gardens,
known as kare-sansui or "withered landscapes," were built on the grounds
of Zen temples. Possibly, the most famous Japanese rock garden is that at
Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto. The earliest temple recorded on this site dates
from 983. It was destroyed during the Onin Wars (1467-77). The garden
may have been laid out during the rebuilding of 1488. Its derivation most
probably comes from a mixture of sources-the small tray gardens of China
and Japan, the pure pebble ground coverings of sanctified Shinto
precincts, and the style of landscape paintings favored by the Zen monks.
Its original layout and intention are still contestable, with some experts
alleging that it once contained trees and plants and has recently been
reduced.
Artistic context
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