New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-09-08
WHOLE NUMBER al
The Great Bronze God.

The tree-bordered, gray stone walk
which brings you to Daibutz was skill
fully cOntrived so that, without any
previous glimpses. a sudden step brought
us full into the presence of his bronze
majesty. in the very spot where he has
rested immobile for over 600 years. He
doomed up right before us, colossal
figure of Buddha, represented sitting,
oriental fashion, on tremendous gram
ite platform. His great hands were
lying palm up on his enormous lap and
the sitting posture and the Inadequate
ly low pedestal made the figure look so
disportionately broad that it was at first
difficult to realize its height. But a
glance at the surrounding trees and
buildings, over which it towers, and tho
feeling Of being microscopically minute
which crept over us, soon brought us to
the sense of its size. It bears strong
family likeness to all other images Of
Buddha, but its proportions render it
unusually impressive, for while the
non-superstitious American mind can
rise superior to the toy idols of the
mantelpiece, god forty-four feet high
and eighty-seven in circumference, with
an Observation-Disclosures face, thirty
four foot knee and a thumb three and u
half feet in circumference, is not to be
sncezcd at. Huge earrings and q close
fitting, bead-like head-dress give it
rather an Egyptian air. There is
legend that the god was ordered by
pious Empress of Japan, who COM
manded contributions of copper coin
from all the faithful and received
enough to melt over into this in-
monsc image. We wcrc struck ut once
by the discolorcd appearance Of the
bronze, which is gray, notified and
weatherbeatcn from the suns and
storms Of six centuries, and then
by the wonderful expression of
the figure, which is tho embodi-
ment of majestic reposc. 1t is some.
how more natural to look to the texture
than to the meaning of any. oriental
work of art, and their intelligent cx-
preston of an idea was always sur
prise. In our lordly way we expected
skill rather than ideas from them, but
acquaintance with them very soon
changed that misconccption. Like all
images of Buddha, Daibutz pays study.
1t is artistically valuable rs the almost
perfect expression of agrand idca-thc
idea of q divine reposc. There is moth
ing dull in its immobility, yet nothing
sphinx-like behind its serenity; no rid
die to unravcl or to vcx you. 1t is
simply the perfection Of philosophy-a
passionlcss calm. 1t is the perfect de-
velopment and perfect qualification Of
all the faculties; the consequent alb
senco Of desire or unrest. Those who
study ind love it fancy that tho spell of
its quiet serenity dcscends upon them
and fills them, like hasheesh or the To-
tus, with a sense OF perfect peace. Our
merry crowd were each and all just u
little touched by tho grand old god, and
before we left we had mutually con-
fcssed feelings of respect and admira-
ton for him and unanimously resolved
that he should adorn our parlors were
he only q few degrees smaller. We
were then shown to small dark door,
| which led Qor the image is utterly hol.
low into its very bosom, which is fitted
| up IN II rude way as :, temple. A break
neck climb upa vcrtcbral stairway took
us to the small window which made
darkness visible, whence we could look
on the comparatively Lilliputian grove,
which affords shelter to picnic parties
and makes Il short wasted background
to the sixty odd feet of Daibutz and pc
dcstn.
While in the interior it seemed in
credible that this monstrous image could
be the work ofthc Japanese. 1t was
cast, we were told, in sections, and the
parts go joined as to appear one cast
ing. The bronze of which it is made is
excellent in quality, containing consid-
cradle gold. Gold was once very cheap
in Japan, and as late rs 1900 they ex-
changed gold for silver, weight for
weight, with the Dutch.-1he Culijor-
nilU.