Untitled

Jakusai 寂済

late 14th–15th century · Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

The legendary founder of a sect of mountain-dwelling religious practitioners called Shugendō, En no Gyōja is said to have lived during the seventh century on Mount Katsuragi, near the ancient capital of Nara. He is believed to have conjured Zaō Gongen of Mount Kinpusen, the guardian deity of Shugendō. In this portrait, En no Gyōja appears in his conventional hood, monk’s robe, straw mantle, and wood sandals. He is usually shown holding a vajra (thunderbolt sword) and a shakujō (jeweled staff with six rings); here, however, he bears a rosary and one of his two servant-demons has the shakujō. According to legend, En no Gyōja ordered these demons (one red and one green) to serve him. Had they refused, he had the power to bind them with a spell. The landscape suggests a high mountain with a stream and hovering clouds.

Artist

Jakusai 寂済

Date

late 14th–15th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929