Identifier: mikadosempire05grif (find matches)
Title: The mikado's empire
Year: 1894 (1890s)
Authors: Griffis, William Elliot, 1843-1928
Subjects:
Publisher: New York, Harper & brothers
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ss of copper 44 feet high, anda work of high art. The image at Nara was first erected in the eighthcentury, destroyed during the civil wars, and recast about seven hun-dred years ago. Its total height is 53^ feet; its face is 16 feet long,and 9-; feet wide. The width of its shoulders is 28^^ feet. Ninehundred and sixty-six curls adorn its head, around which is a halo 78feet in diameter, on which are sixteen images, each 8 feet long. The 200 THE MIKADOS EMPIRE. casting of the idol is said to have been tried seven times before it wassuccessfully accomplished, and 3000 tons of charcoal were used in theoperation. The metal, said to weigh 450 tons, is a bronze composedof gold (500 pounds), mercury (1954 pounds), tin (16,827 pounds),and copper (986,080 pounds). Many millions of tons of copper weremined and melted to make these idols. Equally renowned were thegreat temple-bells of Kioto, and of Miidera, and various other monas-teries. Some of these were ten feet high, and adorned with sacred
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Temple-bell from Kioto, with Dragon-bow, Inscriptions, Representation of Ten-nin(angel), and of Buddha in Nirvana on the Lotus. texts from the Buddhist Scriptures, and images of heavenly beings,or Buddha on the sacred lotus in Nirvana, in high relief. As usual,the nimbus, or halo, surrounds his head. Two dragon-heads formedthe summit, and ear, by which it was hung to its beam by an ironJink. The bell was struck on a raised round spot, by a hammer ofwood—a small tree-trunk swung loosely on two ropes. After impact,the bellman held the beam on its rebound, until the quivering mono-tone began to die away. Few sounds are more solemnly sweet than LIFE IN THE MIDDLE AGES. 201 the mellow music of a Japanese temple-bell. On a still night, a circumference of twenty miles was flooded by the melody of the greatbell of Zozoji. The people learned to love their temple-bell as a dearfriend, as its note changed with the years and moods of life. The casting of a bell was ever the occasion of rejoicin

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