Artwork

Section of Jin'o-ji Engi Emaki (Konin Shonin E-den)

Section of Jin'o-ji Engi Emaki (Konin Shonin E-den) is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1316 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The fragment depicts a man and a monk beside a stream, motifs consistent with the cycle's broader iconography of holy figures in natural settings.

The section belongs to the Jin'o-ji Engi Emaki (Konin Shonin E-den), a narrative handscroll cycle produced in 1316 that illustrates the founding legends of the Jin'o-ji temple and the biography of the holy man Konin. As a fragment of that larger pictorial biography, this section continues the cycle's devotional purpose of recording and venerating the saintly deeds associated with the temple's origins.

The fragment depicts a man and a monk beside a stream, motifs consistent with the cycle's broader iconography of holy figures in natural settings. The pairing of a monk with flowing water is a recurring visual formula in engi emaki, where streams often signify sacred geography, purification, or miraculous episodes tied to the temple's establishment.

Together, these elements situate the painting within the medieval Japanese tradition of using illustrated biographies to convey the spiritual authority and miraculous history of a religious institution and its founding figure.

History & Provenance

The work titled Section of Jin'o-ji Engi Emaki (Konin Shiin E-den) is a 1316 Japanese painting executed by an anonymous artist. It forms part of the larger Engi Emaki narrative scrolls and was created in Japan. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds the piece in its collection.

The work depicts a monk by a stream, reflecting Buddhist iconography of the period. Its dating is based on the inscription 1316, which aligns with the early Kamakura period style.

The 1316 painting known as a section of the Jin'o-ji Engi Emaki (Konin Shonin E-den) is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The work, created in Japan by an anonymous artist, depicts a monk, a man, and a stream. While the museum's acquisition confirms its current location, the provided records do not list a specific inventory or accession number for this piece. Furthermore, no details regarding its exhibition history are available in the current documentation.

Overview

This painting, titled Section of Jin'o-ji Engi Emaki (Konin Shonin E-den), captures a tranquil scene by a river. It presents a glimpse into a natural landscape, populated by several figures engaged in quiet activities. The artwork is part of a larger narrative scroll, characteristic of Japanese painted handscrolls, and offers a contemplative view of daily life or a specific episode within a broader story.

Technique & Style

The artist employed a palette of soft, muted tones, predominantly earthy greens and browns, complemented by pale blues for the water and sky. These colors contribute to the painting's overall sense of tranquility. The brushwork is precise and controlled, evident in the rendering of both the figures and the natural elements.

A distinctive blue border, adorned with repeating patterns, frames the scene, adding a decorative element to the composition.