8. Lost-Wax Casting — The Hiten (Celestial Maiden)

This is one of Shodo's masterpieces: the Hiten, a Celestial Maiden, made by lost-wax casting. First, please look at the work as a whole. Does it not seem to capture the very presence — the fleeting instant — of a celestial maiden dancing through the sky? It is said that Shodo was deeply moved by the ancient art preserved in the old temples and shrines of Nara and Kyoto, and in the Shosoin Repository. He held the emotion born there in his heart for a long time, and crystallized it into this work. Pay special attention to the flow of the robes. So soft you would hardly believe it is metal, its flowing lines seem to let you feel even the direction of the wind. And then, the maiden's expression. This serene smile is said to reflect the "quiet joy" that Shodo discovered in the faces of ancient Buddhist statues. Please take a moment to feel how such tenderness can be expressed in so hard a material as metal. Notice, too, the ingenuity of the support, which does not disturb the sense of floating: part of the flowing lines of the robe is joined naturally to the base, creating a quiet stability — as if she were suspended in mid-air.