Illustrations of the Life and Deeds of the Grand Master of Mount Kōya, vol. 1, 17th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Ink printed on paper with hand-applied colorexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.213.1
Not on Viewexpand_more
This handscroll illustrates various holy deeds and scenes from the life of the Buddhist monk Kūkai (also known by his posthumous name Kōbō Daishi, lit. “Grand Master Who Spread the Dharma”). Kūkai is credited as founder of the Shingon, or True Word, sect of tantric Buddhism, and late in life established a large Shingon temple complex at Mount Kōya in the rugged Kii Peninsula, south of the ancient capital of Nara.
Numerous six-, ten-, and twelve-scroll sets of handscrolls illustrating the life of Kūkai are extant. This printed and hand-colored ten-scroll edition is based on painted models dating to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
Details
- Title
- Illustrations of the Life and Deeds of the Grand Master of Mount Kōya, vol. 1
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.213.1
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 477
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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