神於寺縁起絵巻断簡|Scene from The Illustrated Legends of Jin’ōji Temple (Jin’ōji engi emaki)

Created in 1364 in Japan, this work is a surviving fragment of a handscroll originally illustrating the legends of Jin'ōji Temple. The piece was executed by an anonymous artist using ink and color on paper. The scroll's inception is firmly dated to the mid-14th century.

The fragment entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and is cataloged under accession number 1975.268.36. The museum holds the work as part of its permanent collection of paintings, preserving this section of the larger narrative emaki that depicts figures, architectural structures, and natural elements associated with the temple's history. The object measures approximately 34.3 cm in height and 290.8 cm in width.

This artwork, titled Scene from The Illustrated Legends of Jin’ōji Temple (Jin’ōji engi emaki), is a fragment from a larger handscroll. Executed with ink and color on paper, this painting offers a visual narrative. It depicts a lively scene centered around a temple, populated by various figures and natural elements like trees. As a painting, it serves as a historical document, illustrating aspects of past Japanese society.

As a segment from The Illustrated Legends of Jin’ōji Temple, this painting likely served to visually recount the history or significant events associated with the Jin’ōji Temple. Such illustrated legends, known as engi emaki, were common in Japan, combining text and imagery to preserve and disseminate the stories of temples, shrines, and prominent figures. This fragment contributes to understanding both the temple's narrative and broader societal practices.