The society researches Okinawan iconography, and before defining the images and icons to be objects of study, it is better to define "images" or "icons", or "iconography".
(image/icon)
An image or images made, when related to a meaning or meanings, is/are called iconography.
So in an iconography, the content is more important than the form.
An image distinguishes itself as the opposite of the undefined ground, in its creation, and formats a visual system, locating itself in its relations with other images. At this point, image creates the primary meaning and prepares iconographical correspondence. The iconographical correspondence is, in a narrow sense, the association between the image and the concepts, propositions, discourses, and linguistic system and so on, and in broader sense, includes correspondence between image and other non verbal elements like function and idea. These correspondences at a first glance, seem to be indespensable or forced, but in fact, are arbitrary and conventional, and basically, owe their formation to peculiar cultural, social, historical conditions. The interpretation of the iconography, namely the discovery of the correspondence necessitates first of all, to clarify its cultural, social and historical contexts. In addition, documents like contemporary literature which can testify to the correspondence relation are requested.
The above is a part of the article of "iconography" in the Grand Encyclopedia of Heibonsha. The word "image" used in the article, means not only "figures in a form to be visibly seen" derived from its Greek etymology "imago", but also "figures imagined in mind " nowadays. And thus, we'd better define "iconography" or"images" as a visible(visual) image which corresponds to a meaning and content.
The word "imaginary" is often used too, and used as the whole system of images and representations
of an individual or a community. The image or icon or iconography is the visualization of a world of imagery and has a form.
We are going to examine the meaning and etymology of the words corresponding to "iconography", in the West and East.
(European Art)
The word "iconography" and "iconology" translated generally as "zuzōgaku"(図像学) or" zuzōkaishakugaku" (図像解釈学)are made attaching Greek words "eikon"(portrait, figure) and "graphein" (scripture) or "logos"(word,science). As in a narrow sense Greek "eikon" was used to indicate portrait, so in the Greek and Roman periods "Ikonographein" meant a collection of portraits, but originally it meant "shadow" = figure of something. In Europe, iconographical handbooks were made, such as Iconologia (1593) written by Cesare Ripa and a number of Emblemata (Emblem books) made throughout the 17 th century.
(Byzantine Art)
"Icon" in Byzantine Art is used with a more strictly limited meaning and used only for sacred figures.
In Byzantine Art there are iconographical books such as Hermeneia.
(Japanese Art)
In Japanese Art the word "zuzō"（図像） means a "figure" itself represented in a painting or sculpture of Buddha（仏陀）or Bodhisattva（菩薩）which originally did not have any figure. Shakyamuni(釈迦) was represented in the beginning with symbolic expression, and then Buddha figures appeared and to distinguish Shakyamuni, his disciples, Brahma(梵天) and Indra（帝釈天）, and to represent distinct scenes and meanings from Shakyamuni's Life Story, individual norms of expression were needed, and thus Buddhist iconography was established.
And to represent various Buddha mentioned in various sacred scriptures(sutra) distinctly, Buddhist iconography was developed furthermore, distinguishing different facial expressions, hand positions,attributions,poses. On the contrary, the word "zuzō"（図像）in a narrow sense, means images as models explaining differences between various facial expressions, hand positions, attributions,poses. In the beginning of the Heian period, many of these images brought back from the Tang dynasty China,by eight major bonzes came were drawings without color(Hakubyō-zuzō), or even when they were colored slightly, the main outlines were by Chinese ink, and were distinct from real Buddhist icons or cult objects . "zuzō"s（図像） anyway were considered important to understand doctrine in Tantra, and in schools of esoteric Buddhism such as Tōmitsu （東密）and Taimitsu（台密）, were considered as the testimony of initiation from the master to disciple, so every acarya collected "zuzō"s（図像） and copied them to study about bonzes of their own temples. After the late Heian period, many acaryas(monks of esoteric Buddhism) （阿闍梨）and bonze-painters who indulged in the study of zuzō emerged, and the study of "zuzō"s（図像） origins and dogmas flourished. Making of "zuzō"（図像）were also executed by professional painters, and thus the artistic value of "zuzō"（図像） increased.
The word "zuzō"（図像）was used from ancient time in China as "drawing images", but as the copy of the image of Buddha in Chinese ink brought from the Tang dynasty China by the priest Enchin(円珍) in the beginning of the Heian period was called "zuzō of Taizo"(Mutra)（胎蔵）, it is possible that already at that period those things were called "zuzō"（図像）in China too. However, in the late Heian period, a kind of iconography book with selected and collected images by the priest Yōgen(永厳)(Keijū [Ejū??] 恵什 in another report) on the demand of the Ex-Emperor Toba, was called "Zuzō-sho(comments on zuzō)"（図像抄）, we can consider that from the end of Heian period, the word "zuzō"（図像） became general and commonly used.
Before that, in China and in Japan, the words "yō"(様) and "zuyō" (図様) were used for models and designs(sketches).
(images as objects of our study)
As mentioned above, in this site, we use the word "image="zuzō"（図像）as a visible form corresponding to meaning. "zuzō"s（図像） may be represented in a painting or in a sculpture, but figures of characters played or masks and costumes used in a theatre, festivals and parades, and forms of theatrical settings, tools, architecture and ornaments are included too. So our study sometimes may include as objects very simple symbols and signs, and even when dealing with art works such as paintings and sculptures, our range does not yet extend to so-called masterpieces.
For the moment, we are selecting images that are cult objects in some way, conserved by successive generations in a place of ancestral worship, rather than masterpieces. These images include those made by order or demand by professionals in modern and contemporary times, and those made at the instigation of the oracles in dream and dedicated.
copyright (c) 2009 Okinawa Zuzō Kenkyukai All Rights Reserved.