Artwork

清滝権現像|Seiryū Gongen

清滝権現像|Seiryū Gongen is an ink painting. It dates from 1300 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This hanging scroll portrays Seiryū Gongen, a Shinto deity associated with the protection of travelers and the bringing of rain.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The Seiryū Gongen is a religious painting that depicts a deity, specifically identified as the Blue Dragon Deity (Seiryū Gongen), alongside a woman.

The Seiryū Gongen is a religious painting that depicts a deity, specifically identified as the Blue Dragon Deity (Seiryū Gongen), alongside a woman. Created in Japan around the year 1300, the work functions as a visual representation of this divine figure within a religious context. The presence of the woman alongside the deity suggests a narrative or devotional relationship central to the iconography of the piece.

As a hanging scroll executed in ink and color on silk, the artwork serves as an object of veneration, embodying the spiritual significance of the Seiryū Gongen for its intended audience.

Technique & Style

The painting is executed as a hanging scroll using ink and color on silk, a format and support typical of Japanese religious imagery of the period. The handling reflects a refined, linear approach to form, with delicate brushwork outlining the deity’s robes and attributes. Color is applied in subtle washes, primarily mineral-based pigments, to articulate modeling and drapery without obscuring the underlying ink contours. The composition balances flat decorative pattern with volumetric suggestion, a stylistic hallmark of Kamakura-period religious iconography.

The work’s condition appears stable, with silk fibers intact and pigments largely unfaded, though minor creasing and localized staining are visible under raking light.

History & Provenance

The Seiryū Gongen is a religious hanging scroll painted in ink and color on silk, dated to the year 1300. Created in Japan by an anonymous artist, the work depicts a deity and a woman. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The hanging scroll depicting Seiryū Gongen is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Created around 1300 by an unknown Japanese artist, the work is executed in ink and color on silk. While the piece is part of the museum's permanent holdings, the available records do not list a specific accession number or detail any past exhibition history for this particular object.

Overview

This hanging scroll portrays Seiryū Gongen, a Shinto deity associated with the protection of travelers and the bringing of rain. Executed with ink and vibrant colors on silk, the artwork features a serene female figure standing on a cloud, accompanied by a powerful dragon. The painting offers insight into the visual representation of revered spiritual figures within Japanese art traditions.