Japanese Cultural Scenes

Woodblock prints and textiles depicting historical and mythical scenes, celebrating traditional Japanese rituals and landscapes.

Pictorial Hanging Illustrating the Feast of Peaches, late 18th century, 60 x 36 in. (152.4 x 91.4cm), Silk tapestry (kesi), China, 18th century, This tapestry illustrates a classic scene from Daoist mythology, the birthday party given for Xi Wangmu, Queen Mother of the West. Legend held that certain peach trees produced a fruit that offered immortality when eaten. The trees blossomed every 3,000 years. Once, when these miraculous peaches were ripening, a party was held to honor Xi Wangmus birthday. In the tapestry, the queen mother descends from the clouds on a phoenix in the upper left, while the three deities of longevity, official office, and happiness await her arrival on the central terrace. The eight Daoist immortals are shown in the lower register making their way to the festivities. A hanging such as this, full of Daoist imagery for long life, would have been used on special occasions such as birthdays.

Poem by Emperor Sanjo, from the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets Explained by an Old Nurse, 1835-36. Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, 1760-1849). Color woodblock print; overall: 25.6 x 37.3 cm (10 1/16 x 14 11/16 in.). A priest raises a gohei, a ritual implement with zig-zag strips of white paper attached to a staff, while the surrounding figures reverentially bow in a moonlit ceremony honoring Emperor Sanjo (976-1017, reigned 1012-16).

Tororojiru Shop at Mariko from the series 53 Stations of Tokaido, Ando Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797-1858, Woodblock print in colored ink on paper, This station scene shows banners selling famous yam soup. On the left side is a man-eating just outside the shop. Two covered soldiers in the front, with their back behind us, are walking towards a man on horseback. The right side shows a mother carrying a baby and an older child behind her. As our eyes wander more in-depth into the image, there is a giant tree that echos the same shape of the mountain behind it., Japan, 1855, landscapes, Print, Print

Pictorial Hanging Illustrating the Feast of Peaches, late 18th century, 60 x 36 in. (152.4 x 91.4cm), Silk tapestry (kesi), China, 18th century, This tapestry illustrates a classic scene from Daoist mythology, the birthday party given for Xi Wangmu, Queen Mother of the West. Legend held that certain peach trees produced a fruit that offered immortality when eaten. The trees blossomed every 3,000 years. Once, when these miraculous peaches were ripening, a party was held to honor Xi Wangmus birthday. In the tapestry, the queen mother descends from the clouds on a phoenix in the upper left, while the three deities of longevity, official office, and happiness await her arrival on the central terrace. The eight Daoist immortals are shown in the lower register making their way to the festivities. A hanging such as this, full of Daoist imagery for long life, would have been used on special occasions such as birthdays.

Utagawa Hiroshige; Sanoya Kihei / 'Kanda Myojin Temple (Kanda Myôjin)', 1832-1838, Japanese School, Paper, 250 mm x 370 mm, G05655. Museum: MUSEO DEL PRADO, MADRID, SPAIN.

Two images from a Japanese booklet. Sheet with two performances. Left, a goddess with two children standing between clouds; In the background the top of a Torii (access gate to a shintoist sanctuary). Right, a servant the hair combming from a woman sitting on a veranda. Page 14 from a Japanese book.

Emperor Taizong of Tang (Táng Tàizong, Wade-Giles: T'ai-Tsung, January 23, 599 - July 10, 649), personal name Li Shìmín, was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, ruling from 626 to 649. As he encouraged his father, Li Yuan (later Emperor Gaozu) to rise against Sui Dynasty rule at Taiyuan in 617 and subsequently defeated several of his most important rivals, he was ceremonially regarded as a co-founder of the dynasty along with Emperor Gaozu.

A man with filarial elephantiasis, being helped to carry his enlarged scrotum supported with a sling, approaches a temple; two women are shocked at the sight. Coloured woodcut after Hokusai by Hiroshige II, 1859.

The Benten Temple in Snokashira Pond /Inokashira NO IKE BENZAITEN NO YASHIRO YUKI NOKEI

The Kinryusan Temple in The asakusa District /Asakusa Kinryusan Zu, from the Series: Famous Views of Tokyo /TOKYO MEISHO

The Advent of a Demon; Scene from a Performance in an old Kabuki Theatre Unidentified artist. The Advent of a Demon; Scene from a Performance in an old Kabuki Theatre 55240

The Suruga District in the Eastern Capital, 1858, 4th month, Utagawa Hiroshige; Publisher: Tsutaya Kichizō, Japanese, 1797 - 1858, 13 5/16 × 8 11/16 in. (33.8 × 22 cm) (image, vertical ōban), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 19th century, Here, Hiroshige depicted a street scene in Suruga-chø, near Nihonbashi. The building at the corner, as identified on the indigo shop curtains and the wooden board, is the famous Echigoya textile shop. A straw rope (shimenawa) festooned with fern fronds hangs from the building's joist-a traditional New Year's decoration. Two men in green robes are manzai dancers who perform a comical dance-and-song routine. Two women holding guitar-like instruments are torioi singers. Entering from the right is a daikagura troupe whose members perform the auspicious 'lion dance' and a variety of acrobatic feats. With all these street performers strolling around, the streets in Edo on New Year's Day were undoubtedly very lively.

Women Viewing Scroll Paintings of the Gods of Good Fortune 1775-1829 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban triptych . Chôbunsai Eishi

Kinryuzan in Asakusa in the Eastern capital; Toto Asakusa Kinryuzan. Two women and a little boy on the way to the kinryu temple, shown above the stylized clouds. The boy wears a black jacket that a pattern of dogs and pine cones, in his hand a range with the Japanese flag.

Oji Inari Shrine, No. 18 in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando) (Japanese, 1797-1858). , 9th month of 1857. Woodblock print, Image: 13 3/16 x 8 5/8 in. (33.5 x 21.9 cm). White puffy plum blossoms peeping up from behind the teahouses below indicate that it is early spring at Ōji Inari Shrine, the devotional site of Inari, the god of the harvest. Inari worship spread rapidly throughout the rural Kanto hinterland of Edo during the eighteenth century and later moved into the city itself. Because of its antiquity, Ōji Inari Shrine was considered the chief among all Kanto shrines to Inari. Each year in the early spring, farmers and city-dwellers alike gathered there to pray for a good year. Asian Art 9th month of 1857

The Gion Festival, Kyoto (Kyoto Gion sairei), from the series One Hundred Views in the Various Provinces (Shokoku meisho hyakkei) 1859 Japan. Color woodblock print . Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu)

Oboshi Yuranosuke and his companions swear to avenge the death of their lord, scene from Act IV (Yodanme) of the spectacle The Treasury of Loyal Retainers" (Kanadehon chushingura). Eisen,Ikeda (1790-1848), graphic artist

New Years At the Temple, Ando Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797-1858, Woodblock print in colored ink on paper, This New Years' scene is a mad dash to get to the shrine and Temple for the yearly tradition in order to have a great new year. Thousands of people swarm in the middle of winter to pay their respects, make wishes, pray for good health and safety, and overall have good blessings for the upcoming year. Hiroshige decorates the scene with unrealistic cherry blossoms but gives it a cheery and celebratory backdrop., Japan, 1797-1858, landscapes, Print, Print

Women Parading in an Imitation of the Cortege of a Daimyo ca. 1797 Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese. Women Parading in an Imitation of the Cortege of a Daimyo 36677

The Sagoromo Captain; Three Gentlemen or Japanese literature. Sagoromo plays the flute so beautiful that a goddess appears. From the complete series of three surimonos with one of the 'three gentlemen of the Japanese literature' in the presence of a lady.

Children Play-acting a Daimyo Procession ca. 1763 Torii Kiyomitsu Japanese. Children Play-acting a Daimyo Procession 37142

Scene with the famous musician Bo Ya playing the zither. unknown, graphic artist

Magome, Travelers on a a Mountain Road, Board 44 from the Series: Sixty Nine STAGES OF THE KISO KAIDO ROAD /KAIDO ROKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUJUKUKUJUKUJUKU NO UCHI

Tsukudajima: Sumiyoshi Festival, 1857, 7th lunar month, Utagawa Hiroshige; Publisher: Sakanaya Eikichi, Japanese, 1797 - 1858, 13 7/16 x 8 3/4 in. (34.1 x 22.3 cm) (image)14 7/16 × 9 5/8 in. (36.7 × 24.4 cm) (sheet, vertical ōban), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 19th century, Tsukudajima is a manmade island at the mouth of the Sumida River in Edo (now Tokyo). Fishermen who settled there from western Japan constructed a shrine dedicated to the god of the sea. This print depicts the highlight of a festival held at the shrine every summer. The white banner in the center is emblazoned with the name of the god, Sumiyoshi Daimyōjin. Behind the banner, a procession of men carry a mikoshi, a portable shrine for transporting the spirit of the god. Onlookers would be wearing fancy festival garments, such as robes decorated with fishes; yet, these men wear little, if anything, at all. Straining and sweating to carry the heavy shrine, they may also be required to bare

Hodogaya; No 5. Hodogaya: One of the Fifty-Three Noted Places on Tokaido. Painted by Hiroshige.; Hiroshige's Tôkeidô; Hiroshige No Fude Tôkaidô. On the bridge two servants wear a covered carrier, crossing the waitresses of a Soba restaurant customers in the other side.

Procational Platform Called Hashi benkei Yama /Hashi benkei Yama, from the Series: Gion Matsuri Festival in Edo Katsushika, hokusai (1760 1849)

De Kanda Myojin Tempel, HIROSHIGE (II), Utagawa, 1859-1863 print View on the site of the Kanda Myojin Temple with visitors at stalls and on the path leading to the red sanctuary; To the right of the four tall trees view over the roofs of the city. Japan paper nishiki-e / color woodcut city-view, and landscape with man-made constructions (+ city(-scape) with figures, staffage). places and objects of worship ~ Shinto

Reproduction of the image of LAN Ying "Upted the Summit and Buddhist Tarm"; 1955 (1955-00-00-1955-00-00);

Nichiren Bidden Voor Regen Opes Te Reizan in Kamakura, UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI, 1833-1837 print Nichiren, founder of the Buddhist Lotus cult, praying with rosary, under umbrella and with small altar, in the pouring rain on a rock above wild sea. Japan paper nishiki-e / color woodcut downpour, rain shower. umbrella. rocky coast

The Story of King Mandhatar; The Story of King Candraprabha; The Tale of the Island of Vadaradvipa, Painting from an Avadana Kalpalata Jataka Series. Eastern Tibet, Kham region, 18th century. Paintings. Mineral pigments and gold on cotton cloth; silk borders

Ishiyakushi, Ishiyakushi-ji Ishiyakushi (Station 45), Ishiyakushi Temple. And, Hiroshige, 1797-1858. Prints. 1832. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection. Travel , Japan, Postal service , Japan, Tokaido (Japan), Mountains, Temples , Japan, Agricultural laborers, Travelers

The Great Lantern of the Kannon Temple in Asakusa, Kasamatsu Shirô, 1934 print View of the huge red lantern above the entrance of the Asakusa temple; Various temple visitors on the stairs. print maker: Japanpublisher: Tokyo paper color woodcut lantern. temple, shrine ~ Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism

The Night Attack, Part 6 Offering Incense (Youchi roku, shoko ba), from the series The Revenge of the Loyal Retainers (Chushingura) 1829-1844 Japan. Going beyond the play, Hiroshige closes his series by showing the roninsí arrival at the Temple of Sengaku-ji, a temple that still stands today in the southern district of Tokyo. Here, the ronin are met by the abbot of the temple. After prayers, evidence of Kiraís death will be placed at Asanoís tomb. The forty-seven retainers will eventually be buried in a quadrangle adjacent to their masterís monument.. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

General of the Right Lord Yoritomo inspects a special Nō performance. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1863. Prints; woodblocks. Triptych; color woodblock print

Shi yanagi ni mayudama no hoshiizuru zu, Four: cottonballs blooming on a willow., 1814., 1 print : woodcut, color ; 13.9 x 18.3 cm., Print shows a man and a woman standing next to a grave marker and a willow tree with rice cakes on the branches during the New Year celebration.

Kumano Junisha Shrine in Tsunohazu, Popularly Known as Juniso (Tsunohazu Kumano Junisha, zokusho Juniso), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei) 1856 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

Sanno Festival Procession at Kojimachi Itchome (Kojimachi Itchome Sanno Matsuri nerikomi), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei) 1856 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

Night market with street theater in the Joruri street, Hiroshige (I), Utagawa, 1852 print Various market stalls during a night market, including a street theater, in addition a stall with second -hand items, a seller with toy lanterns, a plant stall and a gold saleswoman. Japan paper nishiki-e / color woodcut market

Asakusa Kannon temple; Asakusa Kwannon; Memories of Tokyo; Tokyo Kaiko Zue. View of visitors, walking in the direction of temple. In original passepartout with the right-wing label on which title and name of artist.

Group of people walking on the background of the temples and spring landscape

Sumiyoshi festival in tsukudajima; Tsukudajima sumiyoshi no matsuri; A selection of 48 faces on EDO; Senshutsu Edo Yonjuhakkei. View, along white flag and pine, on a lake with boats and a procession of people a golden sacred palank line wearing.

Visiting Kiyomizu Temple 1679-1703 Japan. Hand-colored woodblock print; o-oban, tan-e . Sugimura Jihei

Ueno toeizan hanazakari no zu, View of cherry blossoms at Toei Hill in Ueno., Utagawa, Kuniyasu, 1794-1832, artist, between 1818 and 1830, 1 print (2 sheets) : woodcut, color ; 35.3 x 24.5 cm (left panel), 35.1 x 24.8 cm (right panel), Print shows women carrying umbrellas and offerings at the head of a procession during a cherry blossom festival.

View of the Qing Manchu Imperial Court at Peking, Chinese painting

Akiba Shrine, from an untitled series of Famous Places in Edo Kitao Shigemasa (Japanese, 1739-1820). Akiba Shrine, from an untitled series of Famous Places in Edo, ca. 1770. Color woodblock print on paper, 8 1/2 x 6 1/8 in. (21.6 x 15.5 cm). Asian Art ca. 1770

Bingo Province Kannon Temple at Abuto (Bingo, Abuto, Kannondo), from the series Famous Places in the Sixty-odd Provinces (Rokujuyoshu meisho zue) 1853 Japan. Color woodblock print; oban . Utagawa Hiroshige

SUMIYOSHI FESTIVAL TEUKUDAJIMA, HIROSHIGE (I), UTAGAWA, 1891 print View, along a white flag and pine, on a lake with boats and a procession of people, a golden -colored Palankin. Japan paper color woodcut / nishiki-e flags (~ signalling). landscapes. water course

Arai, 1906 A ferry covered with cloths brings the procession of the warlord (Daimyo) from Maisaka to the other side. In the foreground a smaller boat with the vassals of the warlord. cardboard color woodcut

Chinese New Year Festival of firing crackers in honour of kitchen god

Doke hyakumanben, A comic Buddhist rosary procession., Kawanabe, Gyosai, 1831-1889, artist, 1864., 1 print (3 sheets) : woodcut, color ; 37.7 x 25.7 cm (left panel), 35.2 x 24.1 cm (center panel), 35.3 x 24.5 cm (right panel), Print shows a procession of various figures holding a large rosary around a large octopus.

Yoshitsune Training with the Tengu Sōjōbō. Kawanabe Kyōsai (Japan, 1831-1889). Japan, 1863, 9th month. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

The Life of Confucius, Bingzhen, Jiao (1689-1726)

Toshogu Shrine,Nikko

Immortal Zhang Guolao (Japanese: Chokaro) conjuring magic horses from a gourd, card from the painting patterns book Reiki bijitsu ôyô" (vol. II, card 16). Tanaka, Shôzaburô (fl. 1880-1900?), graphic artist

Twenty-eight Star Gods of Longevity, Rank, and Happiness 19th century China. Twenty-eight Star Gods of Longevity, Rank, and Happiness 63788

A Long Tale for an Autumn Night (Aki no yo nagamonogatari) ca. 1400 Unidentified artist This set of illustrated handscrolls (emaki), with the narrative progressing from right to left, tells of an amorous affair between a Buddhist monk and a younger male acolyte (chigo), a genre of story popular in medieval Japan. Here, after the tragic suicide of the chigo, the monk renounces carnal pleasure and attains salvation. In 2011 the Museum acquired the missing final section of this scroll, which had earlier been remounted as a hanging scroll.. A Long Tale for an Autumn Night (Aki no yo nagamonogatari) 65123

Fuji Seen in the Distance from Senju Pleasure Quarter (Senju kagai yori chōbō no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) ca. 1830-32 Katsushika Hokusai Japanese A procession of men dressed in blue and green, carrying red muskets is departing the capital for their home province. The man at the left, his hand raised to his forehead, is no doubt reflecting on the pleasures left behind. Fuji appears on the horizon, watching over daimyō procession.. Fuji Seen in the Distance from Senju Pleasure Quarter (Senju kagai yori chōbō no Fuji), from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) 55285

Soviet Propaganda Magazine Interior, Bezbozhnik u Stanka (Atheist at his Bench) Magazine, Illustration by Nikolai Kogout, 1920's

Image of the HotoHoto Ceremony at the Oyashiro Sanctuary in the province of Izumi., Hiroshige (I), Utagawa, 1853 print Women in festive kimono and sacrifices in their hands, with high ceders and a torii, in the fog on their way to the sanctuary; In the background the silhouettes of two other women. Japan paper nishiki-e / color woodcut adult woman (+ three persons). trees. mist, fog

Japanese illustration with Buddha by Anonymous artist, Watercolour on silk, 14th century, USA, Washington, D.C., Freer Gallery of Art, 306, 9x214

CONFUCIUS Chinese philosopher He supervises the exorcism of evil influences Date: 551 - 479 BC

Shonin tozan, Pilgrims climbing., Katsushika, Hokusai, 1760-1849, artist, 1834., 1 print : woodcut, color ; 24.2 x 35.6 cm., Print shows pilgrims climbing toward a mountain cave filled with monks.

Kanaya, 1906 A procession of a Daimyo crosses a river. cardboard color woodcut

View of the Buddha (WOFO SI); Huang, Lishou (early 20th century); 1924 (1923-00-00-1923-00-00);

The Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki) late 13th century Unidentified artist Highly Sinicized figures meant to represent the Buddhas father and his men occupy a landscape with a soft rolling hill and trees in a restrained color palette. Beneath the illustration, the scripture is executed in an attractive standard script (kaisho). The calligraphy relates how prince Siddhartha (the historical Buddha), having left the palace, travels to Mount Gaya, where his uncle lives, and practices asceticism for six years. The king dispatches ministers to report on his sons activities and orders that he be brought one thousand cartfuls of daily necessities and watched over at all times.This work is a section of one version of The Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki), a Buddhist scripture whose title is often colloquialized to The Illustrated Sutra of Cause and Effect (E-inga kyō). The first narrative known to have been painted

Reception by the Japanese of the Americans at Yokohama 1870s Sensai Eiko. Reception by the Japanese of the Americans at Yokohama 55414

Kennyuhsan no zu ni, Utagawa, Toyoharu, 1735-1814, artist, between 1764 and 1772, 1 print : woodcut, color ; 25.8 x 39 cm., Print of a painting in an ornate frame with feet for display on floor or other flat surface showing crowd outside vendor stalls around a large temple; most of the people are entering the temple.

Kanasugi Bridge and Shibaura, 1857, 7th month, Utagawa Hiroshige; Publisher: Sakanaya Eikichi, Japanese, 1797 - 1858, 13 1/4 x 8 11/16 in. (33.6 x 22 cm) (image)14 1/8 × 9 7/16 in. (35.8 × 23.9 cm) (sheet, vertical ōban), Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, Japan, 19th century, Located in the southern outskirts of the city, Kanasugi Bridge is neither a transportation hub nor a commercial center. In this print, however, the bridge is crowded with people wearing the matching sedge hats. The colorful flags and banners fluttering in the wind, many of which are emblazoned with the words 'køchñ,' mean that the group is comprised of religious pilgrims. The square-shaped emblem on the banners identifies the group as members of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism. They are likely heading to the nearby Shødenji, one of the sect's most important temples. Such pilgrimages provided country folks with the opportunity to visit the city.

Egoyomi, calendar with images of the Kabuki performances in 1813. Tomoe, Tohiro (fl.ca 1810-1815), author

Boxes of tea being weighed and packed for shipping.. Paintings, Prints. 1850. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Art & Architecture Collection. Painting, Chinese, Tea industry , China, Employees , China, Shipping , China

Terakoya (which literally means 'temple schools') were private educational institutions that taught writing and reading to the children of Japanese commoners during the Edo period. The first Terakoya made their appearance at the beginning of the 17th century, as a development from educational facilities founded in Buddhist temples. Prior to the Edo period, public educational institutions were dedicated to the children of samurai and ruling families, thus the rise of the merchant class in the middle of the Edo period boosted the popularity of terakoya, as they were widely common in large cities as Edo and Osaka, as well as in rural and coastal regions. The terakoya attendance rate reached 70% in the capital Edo at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. The Terakoya were abolished in the Meiji era, when the government instituted the Education System Order in 1872, when attending public schools was made compulsory as a measure to give basic education to the who

Puppet performance; kakemono. Kyoraishi, Genshin (fl. ca 1740-1790), painter

Gift cover. Dark blue satin weave silk with embroidery. The Seven Sages represent a group of third century Chinese scholars who met in a bamboo grove to relax, drink and discuss Taoist philosophy. In Japan they are popularly equated with the Seven Gods of Good Fortune.

Examining Antiques at Literati Gathering 18th century Wang Li Mu. Examining Antiques at Literati Gathering 40438

China: Qingming Shang Tu or 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' (detail), from a 1737 Qing Dynasty version based on the Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145) original scroll painting dating from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)

Perspective picture of the Daidai Kagura performance at the two sites, Ise Shrine by Toyoharu Utagawa (1735-1814). Colour woodcut print of a perspective view in the shrine at Ise with a ceremony taking place before the royal throne.

Japan/Ryukyu Islands: Detail of a scroll painting depicting the Kingdom of Ryukyu's embassy to the Japanese Court at Edo in 1710 during the reign of King Sho Eki (1710-1712), 18th ruler of the Ryukyu Second Sho Dynasty

Benkei and the moon above the Daimotsu bay; Daimotsu Kaijo No Tsuki - Benkei; One hundred aspects of the moon; Tsuki No Hyakushi. Benkei, in boat, praying with rosary, at full moon, raised in a storm at sea by his opponents spirits. Print stuck on leaf with green brocade.

Theater Loge; A look behind the scenes at the actors; Yakusha gakuya tsu. Pipe smoking man from a sofa looking at three ladies who leave the lodge; One of the three sideways behind the coulisses looking. Two sheets, stuck to each other, from the Japanese book Yakusha Gakuya Tsu.

FEAT OF THE FEDERATION ON 14 JULY 1790 Federation Day on July 14, 1790 ".

The bride arriving in a carriage to her betrothed's house, painter from the Tosa school, from a traditional literature novel, Japan. Japanese Civilisation, 19th century.

Opening celebration of Benzaiten Shrine at Enoshima in Soshu. ""So_shu_ enoshima benzaiten kaicyo_ sankei gunshu_ no zu"", Japanese Prints - Hiroshige

The tradition of silk and silkworm in China. Old 19th century engraved illustration from La Nature 1888

Komfoor with Sakevaten. A pile of six large sake (rice wine) barrels with New Year's decoration. In the foreground a large komfoor with pipe and tobacco bag. The dragon on the Komfoor indicates the new year of the dragon. With one new year poem.

Filial piety, Chinese painting, 12th century

Decoration Projects for the Celebration of Court Holidays. unknown, author

Modern Versions of the twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety: Guo Zhu ca. 1770 Isoda Koryūsai Japanese As his young wife watches raptly, a young man is taking boiling water with a bamboo ladle from an iron tea cauldron in a square hearth set into the tatami mat floor. Behind him a Chinese-style painting of a bird in bamboo is hung before a bird-shaped incense burner in the tokonoma alcove. This scene of domestic tranquility focused on the cauldron and other utensils of the formal tea ceremony (chanoyu) is in fact a witty parody of one of the moralizing tales propagated in Confucianism, the official ideology of the Tokugawa shogunate. Guo Zhu, said to have lived in the second century A.D. in China, was so devoted to his aged mother that, finding himself unable to support his entire family, he persuaded his wife that they should bury their infant son to be able to feed her. As he was digging the grave, he uncovered a cauldron of gold, a just reward which saved him from a painful, extreme

A Temple in China, circa 1900

Calligraphy- Kako, Genzai Inga-Kyo Sutra, life of sakyamuni, Nara Period, 8th cent. JAPAN.

Vuurwerk Te Ikenohata, Kobayashi Kiyochika, 1881 print Spectators, on the edge of the pond, under a pendulum of lanterns, looking at fireworks above the Benten shrine, visible in the background; at night. paper color woodcut bonfire, fire-works. climbing up a tree. crowd, mob

At Ishiyama-dera, Japan, people write prayers on pieces of paper which they attach to the black rocks, following the example of two legendary lovers Date: 1908

Illustrated Biography of Prince Shōtoku (Shōtoku Taishi e-den) 14th century Japan Prince Shōtoku (574-622), a preeminent champion of Buddhism against the hereditary clans in charge of Shinto ritual, was venerated within a century after his death as an incarnation of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. Monks told parables about him inspired by the life of the Buddha, and episodes from his life decorated temples and shrines, aiding the spread of popular Buddhism throughout medieval Japan. This hanging scroll and its pair depict sixty-two such scenes from the princes life, shown neither chronologically nor in an orderly spatial sequence but instead identified by accompanying inscriptions. Although Shōtoku lived during the early seventh century, when the capital was located in Asuka, these fourteenth-century paintings depict costumed figures, festive activities, and architectural settings inspired by the Kyoto imperial court during the Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura years.. Illustrated Biog

Illustration depicting the ceremony of worshiping the imperial ancestors in Japan

SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA, known as the BUDDHA ('Enlightened One') He displays his command of paranormal powers by throwing a huge rock into the air Date: 563 BC - 483 BC

China: Qingming Shang Tu or 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival' (detail), from a 1737 Qing Dynasty version based on the Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145) original scroll painting dating from the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127)

Zojoji temple; Zojoji (Temple); Memories of Tokyo; Tokyo Kaiko Zue. Face between two tree trunks, on a red temple with green roof. In original passepartout with the right-wing label on which title and name of artist.

Colorful lantern displayed at Yasukuni Shrine during Mitama Matsuri, Tokyo, Japan

Decoration Projects for the Celebration of Court Holidays. unknown, author

Representation of the Ganghwa Treaty between Japan and Korean Kingdom of Joseon

Two Japanese monkeys, anxious to know the life of Buddha, help a scholar to copy the Buddhist bible, and the senior, later reincarnated as a man, completes the task Date: 1908

Chinese woodblock print, Man and musician, China.

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