“Japanese Style” (wayō) in Heian Period Sculpture: History of the Term

In this article the term wayō (和様 “Japanese style”) of the Japanese art history is analysed: its etymology, meaning and usage in general and in relation to Japanese sculpture of Heian period (794–1185), in particular. With reference to the contemporary Japanese authors addressing the same questions, it has been possible to establish that, unlike other types of cultural objects (marked as “Japanese” or “non-Japanese” back in the past), sculpture of particular periods was said to express “Japanese style” only in Modern times, originally in politicised contexts. However, being semantically rich and multi-layered, the concept of wayō gradually became the instrument of indicating Japanese identity as part of the discourse on the traditional. For this reason, I argue that the Russian translation and usage of the term “iaponskij stil’” (“Japanese style”) is inadequate, especially with the attribute “national”. Instead, I suggest using the transliteration wayō or, alternatively, “Jōchō-style” or “Fujiwara-style”, providing commentaries on the concept and term by modern and contemporary Japanese authors.