Kojiro tomita biography of william

American physician

William Sturgis Bigelow (April 4, 1850 in Beantown, Massachusetts^[1]–1926) was a prominent Indweller collector of Japanese art.^[2] Probity art collection trips he funded in the 1880s helped run into form the standards by which Japanese art and culture were appreciated in the West.

In 1909, Bigelow was awarded illustriousness Order of the Rising Daystar, Third Class, by Emperor Meiji.^[3] A trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts (1891–1926), no problem was elected a Fellow make acquainted the American Academy of Portal and Sciences in 1911.^[4]

Early career

Bigelow was the son of Speechmaker Jacob Bigelow, a prominent Beantown surgeon.

He received his significance in medicine from Harvard Formation in 1874 and continued her highness medical studies in Europe be directed at five years under Louis Chemist. His primary interest was bacteriology, but when his father pressured him to follow him crash into surgery, Bigelow abandoned a restorative career altogether.

Travels in Lacquer (1882–89)

Bigelow began collecting Japanese rip open as a student in Paris.^[5] In 1882, inspired by lectures on Japan delivered by Prince Sylvester Morse, he traveled on touching Japan.

Once there, he funded Morse's work and that take possession of Ernest Fenollosa, another young University graduate teaching in Boston.

Bigelow remained in Japan for sevener years. With authorization from representation Japanese government, Bigelow, Morse, wallet Fenollosa, were able to check parts of Japan closed brave outside viewers for centuries.

Righteousness group visited the Treasure Give you an idea about of Tōdai-ji, viewing hidden treasures of Emperor Shōmu, and were granted a few shards look up to pottery, the only items association to the Shōsō-in known stopper currently reside outside of phase in.

Among the many items perform obtained during his time flat Japan were a set deal in gilt bronze statues of glory historical Buddha from Hōryū-ji, make public as the Shaka Trinity statues, and a mandala from class Hokke-do of Tōdai-ji, one order the oldest Japanese paintings acquaintance ever leave Japan.

Morse undisturbed ancient ceramics, Bigelow collected fit, and Fenollosa collected paintings.^[6]

Returning bring forth the United States, Bigelow panegyrical courtesy approximately 75,000 objects of Asiatic art to Boston's Museum allround Fine Arts.^[7] The donations gave the Museum of Fine Field the largest collection of Nipponese art anywhere outside Japan, cool distinction it still holds today.^[8]

In traveling through Japan and formation their collections, Bigelow and rulership Boston colleagues were helped outdo one of Fenollosa's students, Okakura Kakuzō.

Inspired by the Westerners' admiration for Japanese aristocratic institution and with funding from Bigelow, Okakura founded the Nihon Bijutsuin, a fine arts academy, in the matter of preserve and promote traditional forms of Japanese art. In 1898, Okakura was ousted by capacity and students at the faculty who objected to his organization focus on traditional art.

Museum of Fine Arts

In 1891, Bigelow became a trustee of righteousness Museum of Fine Arts deed held the position for xxxv years.^[9] After hearing of Okakura's dismissal, Bigelow hired him disperse oversee the Japanese art collections at the Museum of Slender Arts.^[10] Okakura emphasized transforming justness Western image of a produce house filled with women extra domestic utensils to that scholarship a temple filled with unworldly scroll paintings and sculptures.

Considering that the museum moved to copperplate new building in 1909, pure gallery and courtyard garden done on purpose to mimic a temple most recent its forecourt was built pre-empt display Japanese sculpture. This well-received space became a model go allout for other American museums displaying Asian art.^[11]

Buddhism

With Fenollosa, Bigelow reborn to Tendai Buddhism and infinite and lectured on the foray back in Boston.

He persistent Buddhism in Episcopalian terms (such as "bishop" to describe highflying monks^[12]) and dismissed Zen endure Shin Buddhism, referring to influence latter as a "very open and popular and easy-going look at piece by piece. the Salvation Army of Buddhism."^[13]

Bigelow's publicity for his vision ticking off Japan extended to his fancy on Buddhism.

He delivered say publicly annual Ingersoll Lecture on greatness Immortality of Man at Philanthropist in 1908, which was publicized as a book in Buddhism and Immortality. Bigelow used leadership scientific language of natural preference to explain spiritual evolution, importance when an individual emerges reject "unconditioned consciousness" and "moves go into the scale of evolution guided by natural selection." Next, depiction individual moves to a smooth of celestial experience and lastly is able to "return extort the unconditioned consciousness from which all things emerge.

In culminate view, familial ties were composed by reincarnaton and what oversight called "thought transference."^[14]

Bigelow's contemporaries compared his relationship to the Asian monk who instructed him suspend Buddhism as that of "a filial child" to a "benevolent father."^[15] Historian T.J. Jackson Lears has analyzed Bigelow's embrace be frightened of Buddhism as "leaving a closely packed father for a benign Ajari [teacher]."^[16] Bigelow accepted both info and spiritual evolution and deemed Buddhism and science were compatible.^[17]

Personal life

Bigelow has been described slightly "at once an epicure take a mystic, who professed draw in ascetic religion and wore prized Charvet haberdashery."^[18] His enthusiasm senseless the elite male camaraderie forbidden enjoyed in Japan is mirror in the nature of potentate collections.

Whereas Parisian collections stressed Japanese domestic objects or clothes more associated with femininity, authority Boston collectors focused on interpretation elite all-male aspects of Altaic society: the tea ceremony, righteousness samurai, and elite communities personage Buddhist monks.

Bigelow's preference sale the company of men was manifest nowhere more clearly by on his island retreat souk Tuckernuck, off Nantucket.

He appreciated other men there to prize the pleasures of dining significant swimming in a world impoverished women.^{[citation needed]}

George Cabot Lodge

When Martyr Cabot Lodge, the young bard he had chosen as sovereign spiritual son to inherit king island estate, died there go ashore the age of thirty-five, William Bigelow was heartbroken.

Lodge's 1906 poem "Tuckanuck" celebrates the key as a place "to trance an Eastern dream, starred harsh the cry / of sea-birds ..."^[19][20] A more exuberant note from Lodge to Bigelow buoyant a trip to the sanctum reads "kind Sir! Surf Sir! And sun, Sir! And Nakedness! – Oh Lord! How Irrational want to get my drape off – alone in bare solitudes."^[21]

Milka Ternina

He was also reportable to have proposed marriage make real 1899 to the Croatian turbulent Milka Ternina of the Urban Opera.

Bigelow gave her precise 38-carat diamond named “Cleveland” don presented her a letter find out his marriage proposal. She unwanted the proposal, but from proliferate on their relationship became additional intimate. During their relationship, operate gifted her a number countless Japanese objects, which she congratulatory in 1930 to the Etnografski Muzej in Zagreb.^[22]

Death

Bigelow died conduct yourself 1926.

In accordance with government final requests, Bigelow's remains were cremated; half the ashes were buried near Fenollosa's at Mii-dera, just outside Kyoto, and fifty per cent were interred in the Sturgis family plot at Mount Chocolate Cemetery.^[23]

References

• Frederic, Louis (2002).

  "Japan Encyclopedia." Cambridge, Massachusetts: University University Press.

• "A History of high-mindedness Asiatic Department: A Series blond Illustrated Lectures Given in 1957 by Kojiro Tomita (1890-1976)." Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 1990.

External links