Japanese Historical Art

Artworks showcasing legendary figures and scenes from Japanese folklore and history, characterized by intricate designs, vibrant colors, and spiritual undertones.

Court ladies in robes of state composing poetry., 1730, Woodcuts

Fudō Myōō Threatening a Novice 1885 Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Japanese A legend about Abbot Yūten (1637-1718) of Zōjōji Temple tells how, as a novice, he prayed for Fudō Myōōs aid to become a wise monk. He then dreamed that the statue of Fudō leaped down from its pedestal and made him swallow one of his swords; upon waking, he became an excellent cleric. In this scene, Fudō aims his sword at Yūten while the deitys attendants witness his magical power. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi was one of the great innovators of Meiji ukiyo-e; here, his triptych features an airy, theatrical type of composition associated with his late style, with a hint of the violence that characterized many of his earlier works.. Fudō Myōō Threatening a Novice 72828

Thirteen Buddhas Welcoming the Dying Believer to the Western Pure Land. Japan, early Muromachi Period, 15th century. Paintings; scrolls. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold leaf on silk

Female Musicians at the Imperial Court 18th C. Artist Unknown

Empress Jingu was consort to Emperor Chuai (notionally 192 - 200 CE), she also served as Regent from the time of her husband's death in 209 until her son Emperor jin acceded to the throne in 269. No firm dates can be assigned to this historical figure's life or reign. Jing is regarded by historians as a 'legendary' figure because of the paucity of information about her. Legend has it that she led an army in an invasion of Korea and returned to Japan victorious after three years. However, this theory is widely rejected even in Japan as there is no evidence of Japanese rule in any part of Korea at this early period. Some believe that Empress Jing's conquest is only based on the Gwanggaeto Stele (in Jilin, China). But the legend of Jing's invasion of the Korean peninsula also appears in the ancient Japanese chronicles Kojiki written in 680 and Nihon Shoki written in 720.

Consort Yang Yuhuan (1 June 719 15 July 756), often known as Yang Guifei (Guifei being the highest rank for imperial consorts during her time), known briefly by the Taoist nun name Taizhen, was known as one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was the beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang during his later years. During the Anshi Rebellion, as Emperor Xuanzong was fleeing from the capital Chang'an to Chengdu, she was killed because his guards blamed the rebellion on her powerful cousin Yang Guozhong and the rest of her family.

ESCENA COTIDIANA JAPONESA.

Bo Yi Gao and the White Gibbon Entertain King Zhou 19th century China. Bo Yi Gao and the White Gibbon Entertain King Zhou 63781

A sumo contest in the precinct of Ekōin temple in Edo. Colour woodcut by Hiroshige, 1849/1850.

Court ladies in robes of state composing poetry., 1730, Woodcuts

The Secrets of the Nine Luminaries (Kuyō hiryaku) 1125 Sōkan Japanese Designed to foretell destiny and to help overcome the influence of unfavorable stellar configurations, the rituals of Esoteric Buddhism, imported from India and combined with native Daoism, played an indispensable role in the religious life of China. Rituals dedicated to stars were also introduced to Japan together with Esoteric Buddhist (Mikkyō ) teachings. Paintings depicting the stellar system were produced and disseminate through copies (zuzō).This handscroll illustrates the Nine Luminaries (Sanskrit: Navagraha) that emerged from the Vedic tradition: the sun and moon; the planets Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury; and personifications of the ascending and descending lunar nodes. Each appears within a disk accompanied by a detailed text explaining the properties and appearance of the figure. The scroll originally would have served as an iconographic reference for monks.. The Secrets of the Nine Luminaries

Buddhism in Mongolia derives much of its recent characteristics from Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelugpa school. Traditionally, Mongols worshiped heaven (the 'clear blue sky') and their ancestors, and they followed ancient northern Asian practices of shamanism, in which human intermediaries went into trance and spoke to and for some of the numberless infinities of spirits responsible for human luck or misfortune. Although the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th and 15th century had already converted to Tibetan Buddhism, the Mongols returned to their old shamanist ways after the collapse of their empire. In 1578 Altan Khan, a Mongol military leader with ambitions to unite the Mongols and to emulate the career of Chinggis, invited the head of the rising Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism to a summit. They formed an alliance that gave Altan Khan legitimacy and religious sanction for his imperial pretensions and that provided the Buddhist school with protection and patronage.

Portrait of Dengy Daishi (Saich) early 18th century Unidentified This imagined portrait shows the monk Saich (767-822), also known by his posthumous title Dengy Daishi, sitting cross-legged on a Chinese-style carved lacquer chair in front of a painted screen. Saich was the first Japanese patriarch of Tendai Buddhism, whose teachings are based on those of the Chinese Tientai sect. The notably Chinese-inflected portrayal here is a reminder that Saich traveled to China in 804 and is said to have brought back manuals on Esoteric Buddhism, drawings of portraits of Tientai masters, and ritual accoutrements. Apocryphal lore also suggests that Saich’s genealogy could be traced back to Chinese emperors.. Portrait of Dengy Daishi (Saich). Unidentified Artist. Japan. early 18th century. Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk. Edo period (1615-1868). Paintings

Bishamon welcomes the other luck gods. Octogonal print in album with 39 prints.

Taira no tadanori under a cherry tree. The famous poet Taira No Tadanori, sitting under a cherry blossom; Harness and bow behind him, on the ground for him paper and writing utensils; at night. Because Tadamori could not find a sleeping place during his trip to the battle at Ichi No Tani, he decided to rest under a cherry tree, where he composed the poem in the Cartouche at the top right.

The Astana Graves (Chinese: , Pinyin: Asitanà Gumù) are a series of underground tombs located 6km from the ancient city of Gaochang, and 42km from Turpan, in Xinjiang, China. The tombs were used by the inhabitants of Gaochang, both commoners and locals, for about 600 years from 200 CE - 800 CE. The complex covers 10 square kilometres and contains over 1,000 tombs. Different plots for separate castes and families are marked by gravel dividers. Due to the arid environment many important artifacts have been well preserved at the tombs, including natural mummies. A typical tomb is entered by a 10 metre sloping staircase. The tombs are not very large, usually only 2 metres high. Some tombs also have murals inside. The deceased were laid on a small raised platform in the back of the tomb, surrounded by possessions and even food. Their faces were covered by cloths, some of which have distinct Persian motifs. A small funeral brick was placed to next to each body, on which was written the

Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion 1560 Qian Gu Chinese In 353, the renowned calligrapher Wang Xizhi (307-365) and his friends met at the Orchid Pavilion (at Shanyin, in modern Zhejiang Province) to celebrate the spring festival of purification. Sitting by a stream, they held a poetry competition. When the time was up, eleven men had finished two poems, and fifteen had finished one; the sixteen who failed to come up with anything (among them, Wangs son Xianzhi) were penalized by having to drink three additional cups of wine. In Qian Gus representation of this famous literary event, cups of wine float downstream as the poets, lined up on both sides, drink freely and struggle to complete their poems.Orphaned at an early age, Qian Gu did not receive a formal education until adulthood, when he became a pupil of Wen Zhengming (1470-1559). This painting is modeled after a composition said to have been originated by Li Gonglin (ca. 1049-1106).. Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion. Qian Gu (Chine

China: The Daoist immortal Lan Caihe on the back of a turtle, from the album of 18 Daoist Paintings by Zhang Lu (1464-1538), 16th century CE. Painting sprinkled with gold leaf, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai

Visit to the temple, painter from the Tosa school, from a traditional literature novel, Japan. Japanese Civilisation, 19th century.

The occasion when 1250 monks gathered spontaneously to hear the Buddha´s teaching, depicted in the Life of Buddha, Seoul, South Korea, Asia

Memy Bosatsu (Ashvaghosha Bodhisattva) Mounted on a Horse 15th-16th century Unidentified The Bodhisattva Memy is represented sitting regally upon a white horse while balancing a scale in one hand and a red disc in the other. Memy is the Japanese reading of the name of Indian-born Ashvaghosha (circa 80-150 AD), who was not only a scholar of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy, but also a renowned poet and dramatist. His name literally means "the sound (ghosha), or neighing, of a horse (ashva)," which we can assume led to the development of the association with equine iconography. The way of representing the bodhisattva is thought to have originated from depictions of a folk deity associated with sericulture in Chinese folk religion. This deity was later assimilated into the pantheon of Buddhist deities in Japan, where he protects those involved with silkworm raising and the production or weaving of silk, and is said to provide clothing for those in need.. Memy Bosatsu (Ashvaghosha Bodhisat

Conversations during the a meal, from the series: Ise monogatari Katsukawa, shunsho (1726 1792)

Painting representing (Genghis) Khan conquest and expeditions, Erdene Zuu Monastery, Karakorum, Mongolia, Asia

The Daoist Immortal Ge, seated to the right, was Ge Xuan, a Daoist master of the third century. Born into an eminent family, Ge Xuan was by nature reclusive and drawn to the occult arts of Daoism. He perfected the manufacture of the elixir of immortality as well as all manner of cultivation techniques such as breathing fire (pictured here) and also turning food he had eaten into bees that flew out of his mouth. He eventually became an immortal and disappeared.

Six Noh Performances in Genre Settings late 17th-early 18th century Japan This unusual handscroll features scenes from six popular Noh plays depicted in a genre context, amid the daily lives of townspeople. Each painting was made on a separate sheet, which were joined to form a long handscroll. However, it is likely that, inserted between the paintings, the scroll originally included inscriptions or excerpts from the six plays represented: Orangutan, Wind in the Pines, The Monk Shunkan, Rashōmon Gate, Chikubushima Island, and The Beach at Takasago.. Six Noh Performances in Genre Settings 64381

Immortal Poet 17th century Kano Shōun Japanese. Immortal Poet 45704

Hotei with children. Kano, szkoła, school

The Actor Morita Kanya VIII as Tatsugorō 1794 (Kansei 6) Katsukawa Shun'ei 川春英 Japanese. The Actor Morita Kanya VIII as Tatsugorō 55241

Luohan 15th century Formerly attributed to Guanxiu Chinese. Luohan 36021

Wall painting, Rimpung Dzong, Paro, Bhutan, Asia

Choud Chi Chang, depicting the disciples of Buddha giving alms to the poor, 12th century painting

Manjushri, Tibetan culture

The Oiran Kasugano of Ogiya on Parade under Blossoming Cherry Trees ca. 1788 Kitagawa Utamaro Japanese. The Oiran Kasugano of Ogiya on Parade under Blossoming Cherry Trees 54854

Deities, detail from the Paradise of Amitabha Buddha, the Light without limits, the fourth of five Buddhas of Contemplation, 1795, colour on silk, from the temple of Suguk-Sa, South Korea. Korean Civilisation, Joseon dynasty, 18th century.

A Man Attended by a Servant Carrying a Lantern After Okumura Masanobu Japanese. A Man Attended by a Servant Carrying a Lantern 57143

Japan: Bugaku dancers depicted in a horizontal emaki scroll painting, the Makura no Soshi Ekotoba, Kamakura Period (1185-1333), 12th-13th Century

With some 2000 religious sites - 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture, Kyoto is one of the best preserved and most culturally distinguished cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples are Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and Ryoan-ji, famous for its rock garden. The Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the Imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace, homes of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; Katsura Imperial Villa, one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of its best Japanese gardens. The 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto

Blind Monks Examining an Elephant: Illustration of Buddhist parable where each monk reached a different conclusion depending which part of the animal he examined. Itcho Hanabusa (1652-1754), Japanese artist. Religion Buddhism

Poster shows a girl in traditional Czech() costume in a field of flowers, near her is the dove of peace. Text: Subscribe to the 7th War Loan! Zivnostenska Banka branch office, Vienna. By Minka Podhajská.

China, New Year's print, A boy in the foreground holds a scroll with the lucky sign and two bats, symbol for happiness., print, China (collection), height 232 mm, width 273 mm, maker, verwerker, 1800 - 1899, paper, papier, houtsnede

Durga and Kali Approach the Gathered Armies of Chanda and Munda: Scene from the Devi Mahatmya ca. 1780 India (Himachal Pradesh, Guler) The second great battle in the Devi Mahatmya occurs when Durga tells the terrible demon Shumbha that she will only marry a man who defeats her in battle. He responds by sending the demons Chanda and Munda and their armies to drag her back by her hair for her insolence. After Durga manifests Kali from her brow, the two enter the battle. This work directly corresponds to the text, which describes Kali, looking gruesome with emaciated skin, devouring elephants and riders by pulverizing them with her teeth. This preparatory sketch includes color notations and initial coloring. The page was overlaid with a grid, presumably to allow the image to be transferred or enlarged.. Durga and Kali Approach the Gathered Armies of Chanda and Munda: Scene from the Devi Mahatmya. India (Himachal Pradesh, Guler). ca. 1780. Ink and opaque watercolor on paper. Paintings

Pema Osel Ling Monastery. The wheel of life or the bhavacakra is a symbolic representation of saṃsara. Wall painting..

With some 2000 religious sites - 1600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, as well as palaces, gardens and architecture, Kyoto is one of the best preserved and most culturally distinguished cities in Japan. Among the most famous temples are Kiyomizu-dera, a magnificent wooden temple supported by pillars off the slope of a mountain; Kinkaku-ji, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion; Ginkaku-ji, the Temple of the Silver Pavilion; and Ryoan-ji, famous for its rock garden. The Heian Jingu is a Shinto shrine, built in 1895, celebrating the Imperial family and commemorating the first and last emperors to reside in Kyoto. Three special sites have connections to the imperial family: the Kyoto Gyoen area including the Kyoto Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace, homes of the Emperors of Japan for many centuries; Katsura Imperial Villa, one of the nation's finest architectural treasures; and Shugaku-in Imperial Villa, one of its best Japanese gardens. The 'Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto

Banditry was just one of the many hazards facing travellers on the Silk Road. Offerings were made at the Mogao Caves, among other sacred locations along the way, to ask for safe passage, or to give thanks for safe return.

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang ( 8 September 685-3 May 762), also commonly known as Emperor Ming of Tang (Tang Minghuang), personal name Li Longji, known as Wu Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756. His reign of 43 years was the longest during the Tang Dynasty. In the early half of his reign he was a diligent and astute ruler, ably assisted by capable chancellors like Yao Chong and Song Jing, and was credited with bringing Tang China to a pinnacle of culture and power. Emperor Xuanzong, however, was blamed for over-trusting Li Linfu, Yang Guozhong and An Lushan during his late reign, with Tang's golden age ending in the great Anshi Rebellion of An Lushan.

Anchira-taisho Jochi 1164 Japan The subject of this iconographic drawing, which originally belonged to Kōzanji, a temple in the mountains northwest of Kyoto, is generally identified as General Anchira (Andira in Sanskrit), one of the twelve guardian generals who dedicated themselves to the Yakushi (Bhaishajyaguru) Buddha. The twelve generals are usually crowned with the twelve animals of the zodiac; here, Anchira has a rabbit on his head.The drawing was executed with exceptional care. According to a document accompanying the scroll, it was copied by Jōchi from a Chinese model in 1164. Inscriptions in the painting indicate specific colors iconographically associated with this deity.. Anchira-taisho Jochi 45622

Wat Saket Ratcha Wora Maha Wihan (usually Wat Saket) dates back to the Ayutthaya era, when it was called Wat Sakae. King Rama I (1736 - 1809) or Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke renovated the temple and renamed it Wat Saket. The Golden Mount (Phu Khao Thong) is a steep hill inside the Wat Saket compound. It is not a natural outcrop, but an artificial hill built during the reign of Rama III (1787 - 1851) or King Jessadabodindra.

New Year Picture of characters in the drama, Daniao fenggong (Bird-hunting and the Bestowal of Imperial Consortship) early 20th century Unidentified. New Year Picture of characters in the drama, Daniao fenggong (Bird-hunting and the Bestowal of Imperial Consortship). Unidentified artist(s), Chinese, early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

Panthaka, the Tenth Venerable Luohan. Origin: China. Ink and color on silk. Period: Yuan dynasty. Date: 1345. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Laozi (Lao Tzu, c. 6th century BCE) was a mystic philosopher of ancient China. His association with the Daodejing (Tao Te Ching) has led him to be traditionally considered the founder of Taoism (also spelled 'Daoism'). He is also revered as a deity in most religious forms of the Taoist religion, which often refers to Laozi as Taishang Laojun, or 'One of the Three Pure Ones'. Laozi translated literally from Chinese means 'old master' or 'old one', and is generally considered honorific.

Event Bell in SHOMYO /SHOMYO /BANSHO

Court Ladies, wall painting, Chinese Art

Kunisada, B, C, work, Actors Ichikawa Danjuro VIII, Ichikawa Kodanji IV and Onoe Baiko in the play Hachiman matsuri (Feast of Hachiman Shrine), 1853, color woodblock print, major: graphics

Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as Bushido. While they numbered less than ten percent of Japan's population, samurai teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in martial arts such as Kendo, meaning the way of the sword.

O-sen, a waitress at the Kagiya teahouse at Kasamori temple, known throughout Edo for her beauty, is seen wiping a tea bowl and turning to greet a girl who is bringing her a spring flower in a small pot. In the background, the post of the torii of the Shinto temple and benches piled with utensils for serving tea can be observed., 1770, Woodcuts, 10 7/8 x 8 1/8 in. (27.6 x 20.6 cm)

Children playing drums and performing puppet show, from 100 Children At Play scroll, Ming Period, 16th - 17th century, China, detail

Hermitage in Mount Lu Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese. Hermitage in Mount Lu 49182

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Procession of Daoist Deities: Leaf 3, 1200s. China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Album, ink on paper; sheet: 34.3 x 38.4 cm (13 1/2 x 15 1/8 in.).

Iconographic Drawing of Saturn (Doyō) 12th century Japan Rituals dedicated to the stars and planets were introduced to Japan from China in the ninth century together with Esoteric Buddhist teachings. Doyō (Sanskrit: Shanaishchara), or the planet Saturn, is one of the Nine Luminaries (Sanskrit: Navagraha) of the stellar system as originally defined in early Indian texts that were later incorporated into Buddhism. In China, Buddhist understandings of the heavens were intertwined with Daoist beliefs. Here, the planet is illustrated as an old man with a bulls head atop his own, dressed in a flowing robe. Now mounted as a hanging scroll, the iconographic drawing once formed part of a handscroll including representations of other celestial bodies.. Iconographic Drawing of Saturn (Doyō) 45617

White-robed Kannon 14th century Japan Avalokiteshvara, or Kannon in Japanese, one of the most important bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism, was traditionally venerated in Zen more as a model for the contemplative life than for his traditional role as savior. This approach is reflected in the iconographic mode most favored in Zen, the white-robed Kannon. A more human image of the deity, he relaxes here near a waterfall in a woodland setting. The inclusion of Sudhana (lower right), the archetypal pilgrim youth who sought the bodhisattva in Potalaka, his island paradise, reflects Zen assimilation of Pure Land belief.This early painting, with its skillful handling of ink in supple lines for the figure and graduated wash for the landscape, adheres closely to thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Chinese models and reveals the roots of Japanese ink painting. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #8830. White-Robed Kannon Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies We'r

Descent of the Nine Luminaries and the Seven Stars at Kasuga, mid- to late 1300s. Japan, Nanbokuchō period (1336-92). Hanging scroll; ink, color, gold and cut gold on silk; mounted: 184.5 x 58.5 cm (72 5/8 x 23 1/16 in.); painting only: 106 x 42 cm (41 3/4 x 16 9/16 in.); with knobs: 184.5 x 63.5 cm (72 5/8 x 25 in.). This medieval religious painting shows celestial beings descending from the heavens into the Kasuga Shrine, a major religious site in Japan's ancient capital, Nara. The moon and the Kasuga mountain range appear in the uppermost portion of the painting, as does a red shrine entrance gate, or torii. In the upper part of the painting, figural representations of the stars in the constellation known as the Big Dipper in the West descend from right to left on cloud banks. In the lower part, the Nine Luminaries (Sanskrit: Navagraha) that emerged from the Vedic traditionthe sun and moon; the planets Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury; and personifications of the fluctuat

Great Wisdom Sutra from the Chu sonji Temple Sutra Collection (Chusonjikyo). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 1/16 in. x 24 ft. 5 13/16 in. (25.6 x 746.3 cm). Date: ca. 1175.The frontispiece to this sutra chapter shows a dramatic three-quarters view of the Buddha seated with two bodhisattvas. Seven figures pay obeisance to the Buddha, with the six in front raising offerings of food. The silver used to articulate sections of the ground, the ribbons that hang from the tree behind and the altar before the Buddha, and the offering bowls raised before him provides a subtle, pleasing contrast to the gold used elsewhere in the composition.This chapter from the Great Wisdom Sutra (Daihannyakyo; Sanskrit: Mahaprajnaparamita) is one of more than five thousand scrolls of Buddhist scripture that were dedicated in 1176 to the temple Chusonji in northern Japan by the nobleman Fujiwara Hidehira (died 1187) for the salvation of his father, Motohira (died 1157). Throughout the sutra, absolute truth is

Standing figure of Lü Dongbin. Date: 17th century. Origin: China. Period: Ming or Qing dynasty. Ink and color on silk. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

A monk wearing a mask(?) with a horn, sitting on the ground, beating a drum (tsuri-daiko), between 1750 and 1850, 1 painting : color.

Pursuant to the jugglers and dancers during the feast; the beginning of the 20th century (1900-00-00-1910-00-00);

Inari Okami, also known as Oinari, is a deity in Shintoism, the kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture, industry and general prosperity. In earlier times, Inari was also the patron of merchants and swordsmiths, and has been represented in various art forms as male, female or androgynous. Inari is almost always accompanied by white foxes (kistune), who act as his/her/their messengers. Inari's male and female aspects have often been conflated or identified with other Shinto and Buddhist deities, and Inari him/her/themself has sometimes been seen as a collective rather than an individual kami. Worship of Inari dates back to at least 711 CE, with a shrine on Inari Mountain, although some scholars date worship back to the late 5th century. The kami became more popular during the Edo Period (1603 - 1868). Today more than one-third of Shinto shrines in Japan are dedicated to Inari.

Woman in an interior, Takeuchi Keishu, 1900 - 1925 print Woman in light blue Kimono, standing in a departure in which a small lamp hangs on the ceiling. On the left a red plane in which text with Japanese characters. paper color woodcut adult woman. lighting; lamps. window

Caliph kissing the Prophet's hand, 16th century ms H1223, Life of the Prophet, Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey, from Siyer-i-Nebi

Minamoto no Yoshitsune ( 義経, 1159 - June 15, 1189) was a general of the Minamoto clan of Japan in the late Heian and early Kamakura period. Yoshitsune was the ninth son of Minamoto no Yoshitomo, and the third and final son and child that Yoshitomo would father with Tokiwa Gozen. Yoshitsune's older brother Minamoto no Yoritomo (the third son of Yoshitomo) founded the Kamakura shogunate. He is considered one of the greatest and the most popular warriors of his era, and one of the most famous samurai fighters in the history of Japan. Musashibō Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶, 1155-1189), popularly called Benkei, was a Japanese warrior monk (sōhei) who served Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He is commonly depicted as a man of great strength and loyalty, and a popular subject of Japanese folklore.

Creature carrying Buddhist gems at Lhakhang Karpo in Litang Chode Monastery, Kham - Sichuan Province, China, (Tibet)

The deity of the Carent of the Year, surrounded by the Scenia and 12 animals of the Chief Zodiac and the calendar for the 25th of the Republic of Chief (1936); 1. PO. 20th century (1901-00-00-1950-00-00);

Procession of the Emperor and Suite 1626 Kano School. Procession of the Emperor and Suite. Kano School. Japan. 1626. One of a set of two handscrolls; ink and color on paper, hand-tinted. Prints

Jeong Mong-ju (1338 - 1392), known by his pen name Poeun. Korean scholar-official and diplomat during the late Goryeo period. Jeong Mong-ju was assassinated in 1392 on the Sonjuk Bridge in Gaeseong. Politically motivated, the murder was ordered by Yi Bang-won (later Taejong of Joseon), the fifth son of Yi Seong-gye, who overthrew the Goryeo Dynasty in order to establish the Joseon Dynasty. Jeong Mong-ju was murdered because he refused to betray his loyalty to the Goryeo Dynasty

Religious Frescos, Thikse Monastery, Ladakh, North West India

Portraits of kitahachi and yajirobe; Hizaky. Two portraits of the main characters from the book Hizakige, written by Jippenssha Ikku (1765-1831). Left: Kitahachi, in blue checkered kimono, on his hat The first character of his name, his full name in the elongated cartouche top left. Right: Yajirobe, in green kimono, on his hat The first character of his name, his full name in the elongated cartouche at the top right.

Oda Nobunaga (June 23, 1534 - June 21, 1582) was the initiator of the unification of Japan under the rule of the shogun in the late 16th century, a rule that ended only with the opening of Japan to the Western world in 1868. He was also a major daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. His work was continued, completed and finalized by his successors Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu. He was the second son of Oda Nobuhide, a deputy shugo (military governor) with land holdings in Owari Province. Nobunaga lived a life of continuous military conquest, eventually conquering a third of Japanese daimyo before his death in 1582. His successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a loyal Oda supporter, would eventually become the first man to conquer all of Japan and the first ruler of all Japan since the Ōnin War.

Wuhou Ci (Wuhou Ancestral or Memorial Hall) is dedicated to Zhuge Liang, hero of the classic 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms' and his emperor, Liu Bei. Zhuge Liang (181-234) was a chancellor of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He is often recognised as the greatest and most accomplished strategist of his era. Chengdu, known formerly as Chengtu, is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China. In the early 4th century BC, the 9th Kaiming king of the ancient Shu moved his capital to the city's current location from today's nearby Pixian.

Menshen - Guard of gates with deities he he; beginning of the 20th century (1930-00-00-1932-00-00);Jabłońska, Antonina (1901-1994), Jabłoński, Witold (1901-1957), Jabłoński, Witold (1901-1957)-collection, MENSHEN gate guard (iconogr.), Care deities (iconogr.), Chinese (culture), Dar (provenance), Chinese art

Portrait of Xuanzang (Genj) with Attendant 14th century In the Style of Kasuga Motomitsu Japanese The Chinese monk Xuanzang (602-664), known as Genj in Japan, translated a major body of Buddhist scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese. In Japan, he was honored as patriarch of the Hoss (Chinese: Faxiang) sect, and this painting would have been displayed by its monastic owners to validate the lineage and authority of their temple. Both Xuanzang’s mission to transmit the teachings and the painting that authenticates this transmission testify to the importance of lineage in Buddhist sects. Lineage is equally significant in the transmission of art and craft techniques in Japan, demonstrating a kinship between religious and artistic paradigms. Here, Xuanzang is depicted with an Indian acolyte, a reference to his travels to India in search of Buddhist teachings. The monk’s features are portrayed in taut “iron wire” lines derived from a Tang dynasty (618-907) representational mode used to conn

Samurai costumed actors, Katsukawa Shunsho, (1726-1792/Japanese)

The Eighteen Arhats ( Shíbā Luóhàn) are individuals depicted in Mahayana Buddhism who have followed the Eightfold Path and attained the Four Stages of Enlightenment, and are also the original followers of the Buddha. They have reached the state of Nirvana and are free of worldly cravings. They are charged to protect the Buddhist faith and to await on earth for the coming of Maitreya, a prophesied enlightened Buddha to arrive on earth many millennia after Gautama Buddha's death and nirvana. In China, the eighteen arhats are also a popular subject of Buddhist art. Asita is traditionally considered Arhat No.15, the 'long-eyebrowed luohan', eulogised by China's Qianlong Emperor as: ''Compassionate elder, a monk who has attained enlightenment. Perceptive of the infinite universe, with tacit understanding'.

Imprisonment in China: Presentation of a Criminal in Chains, (Circa 1900), Asian Art

India Around 1600 Harem Entrance Controlled By A Couple of Elephants

Nissaka: The Night-Weeping Stone at Sayo no Nakayama, from the series The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō, c. 1848-50. Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797-1858). Color woodblock print; sheet: 22 x 34.7 cm (8 11/16 x 13 11/16 in.). This print is an image of a mountain pass in Nissaka, one of the stops along the Tkaid, a road running from Kyoto to Edo (present-day Tokyo). This scene alludes to a legend in which bandits murdered a pregnant woman on that stretch of road, and her blood fell upon a stone. Shown in the foreground, the stone is said to contain the woman’s spirit, and so it weeps each night. In some versions of the story, the stone’s cry alerts a passing monk (really the disguised bodhisattva Kannon) to the presence of her infant, who survived the attack. The monk takes the child from the deceased mother’s body, and raises it as his own. The child goes on to avenge its mother.

Paper Talisman with Revered Physicians in Ten Generations early 20th century Unidentified artist(s). Paper Talisman with Revered Physicians in Ten Generations. Unidentified artist(s) , early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

The Healing Buddha (Yakushi Nyorai) and Twelve Generals, 14th century, Unknown Japanese, 43 1/2 × 20 in. (110.49 × 50.8 cm) (image)73 1/8 × 25 7/8 in. (185.74 × 65.72 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink, color, and cut gold on silk, Japan, 14th century, The Healing Buddha, whose name in Japanese, Yakushi Nyorai, means literally 'medicine teacher,' is the golden figure seated at the center of this painting. Just below and in front of him are his attendants, the bodhisattvas of the moon and sun. According to Buddhist scripture, the Healing Buddha himself was once a bodhisattva (a divine being who postpones becoming a buddha and helps living beings achieve enlightenment) who made 12 vows to heal the sick and ignorant and guide them on the path to salvation. His 12 great vows manifested as 12 divine generals, shown here as figures wearing armor and carrying weapons, six on either side of the central triad. Having made his vows and become a buddha, the Healing Buddha with his retinue rules ove

After 45 years of teaching the Dharma, the Buddha passed into Parinirvana, scene from the Life of Buddha, Seoul, South Korea, Asia

Chapter 78 of the Greater Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom, 12th century, Unknown Japanese, 10 3/16 × 341 1/2 in. (25.88 × 867.41 cm) (without roller)10 3/16 × 8 3/4 in. (25.88 × 22.23 cm) (image, frontispiece alone), Gold and silver on indigo-dyed paper, Japan, 12th century, This handscroll is a copy of a single chapter of the Greater Sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom, or Daihannya haramittakyō, a sacred Buddhist scripture that is the opening text of the Buddhist canon, commonly known as the Tripitaka. To create this version, a calligrapher brushed the text by hand in silver paint (a pigment created by mixing crushed silver leaf with animal-fat glue) on paper dyed with indigo. The frontispiece, painted in both silver and gold paints, shows an image of the Buddha surrounded by a host of divinities and devotees below a distinctively shaped mountain known as Vulture Peak, where the Buddha is said to have preached. For its creator (or commissioner), the production of this scroll would h

Buddhist allegory of a priest burning cherry branches. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Date: 1760-1849. Ink and color on paper. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Rama, Lakshmana, and Hanuman Worshiping Shiva and Durga Indian. Rama, Lakshmana, and Hanuman Worshiping Shiva and Durga, ca. 1850. Ink and color on paper, sheet: 10 5/8 x 8 3/8 in. (27.0 x 21.3 cm). Asian Art ca. 1850

Archangel Gabriel brings a message to say the Prophet will win victory at the battle of Uhud, ms 1223 Topkapi Palace Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Thanka with Large Buddha 19th century Tibet. Thanka with Large Buddha 37824

Annamite Actor - Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam. Annam was the term used to describe Vietnam used prior to 1945. Date: circa 1908

New Year Picture of Door God, the Shining Daoist Immortal (paired with CP451, right) early 20th century Unidentified artist(s). New Year Picture of Door God, the Shining Daoist Immortal (paired with CP451, right). Unidentified artist(s) , early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

Marriage in Prosperous Suzhou - Xu Yang

Archival graphic art postcard of parishioners approaching temple, Japan, circa 1925; Artwork

The Adoration of the Holy Lamb 1724-96 Franz Anton Maulbertsch Austrian. The Adoration of the Holy Lamb 370811

Playing my husband; the beginning of the 20th century (1900-00-00-1910-00-00);Chinese (culture), games, coil painting, men, chess, Chinese art, scrolls, vertical ganglia

Calligraphy: Kannon; Always, pray to the Bodhisattva Kannon. Hakuin Ekaku (Japan, 1685-1768). no date. Drawings; calligraphy. Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Pantheon of the deities of Three Teachings. Li, Chengxiong (1817-1883), painter

Bhairava ragini, anonymous, 1750 - 1770 Indian miniature. drawing Shiva is on a tiger skin with a prayer cord in his left hand. He has a jet wreath behind his head with a half moon in it. The Ganges river runs from his head to the ground with an arc. A snake winds around his neck and a chain of skull hangs around his neck. Against a tree is his trident with pennant and drum attached to it. Parvati sits with his hands in worship next to him. On the left in the foreground is Shiva's Rijdier, the bull Nandi. The show is applied to a transparent animal skin. India paper brush / brush

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