<Note>Wood selection for Chinese wood statues preserved in the several museums in the USA

Abstract

The author’s approach is focusing on wood selection for Chinese statues preserved in several museums, especially in the USA, where many East Asian sculptures are preserved, to get a deeper understanding of the historical background of Buddhist sculptures in East Asia. In general, Torreya nucifera, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Cerasus sp., Zelkova serrata were often used for Japanese wooden statues. Our research showed however, that the species selected for wood statues in China were completely different from those in Japan. Of the 62 Chinese wooden statues preserved in several US museums, the following wood species were identified by microscope: Paulownia sp. (17 statues), Tilia sp. (16 statues), Salix sp. (15 statues), Populus sp. (3 statues), Juniperus sp. (3 statues), Santalum album (3statues), others (5 statues). Continued research will be necessary to understand the cultural exchange and logistics in East Asia.