The Five Hundred Arhat Pictures (100 pictures, abbreviated as: Zojoji Original) in Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Zojoji Temple is the representative work of Kano Kazunobu, a painter at the end of the shogunate period. As a companion to this set of Five Hundred Arhats in the Zogami Edition, another set of Five Hundred Arhats painted by Kano Kazunobu is treasured in the Tokyo National Museum and is called the "Higashi Hiromoto".
The patterns depicted in the Higashi Hiro edition and the Zojoji edition are almost the same. The size is about half that of the Zojoji edition. They are also divided into 50 paintings. Each painting has two pictures, each with five Arhats.
Six of the 50 works are stamped with the signature seal of "Fayan Yixinbi". In 1862, Kano Kazunobu was awarded the title of "Hōyan and the Highest Rank" (a rank awarded to monks in Japan. The highest monk's rank is the Hoyin Great Monk Rank, the second highest rank is the Hoyen Rank, and the third rank is the Hōkyo Shangren Rank. , a total of three levels.) Therefore, the completion time of Dongbo's Five Hundred Arhats should be after 1862.
According to the records in the collection of the Tokyo National Museum, the Higashi Hiromoto Five Hundred Arhats were attached to the royal family of Emperor Meiji’s eighth princess, Prince Fuminomiya, and the ninth princess, Prince Tainomiya. It is speculated that Higashi Hiromoto's Five Hundred Arhats may have been a trial painting by Kano Kazunobu before the official painting of the Five Hundred Arhats at Zojoji Temple. The painting of the Five Hundred Arhats in the Higashi Hakubon version should have been drawn earlier than the painting of the Five Hundred Arhats in Zenjoji Temple.
The origin of the Five Hundred Arhats
Zojoji Temple Five Hundred Arhats (Zoujoji original) Ryoei (1700-1854) of Genkoin in Zojoji Temple made a wish for the Lord, and Kano Kazunobu wrote it as the painter, Kanagawa 7 I started writing in the spring of 1854, which took about ten years, and was completed in 1863. Unfortunately, Master Liao Ying passed away in 1854, the year he started painting. Later, Liangdi continued to preside, and Kano Kazunobu continued to paint. After completing 96 paintings, Kano Kazunobu died in 1863 at the age of only 48. The remaining four paintings were painted by Kano Kazunobu's disciple Ichijun based on Kano Kazunobu's sketches.
Since then, this set of Arhat pictures has been hung in the Arhat Hall of Zengshang Temple. Zengshang Temple holds the "Arhat Dharma Assembly" to consecrate the Arhat pictures every spring and autumn. It was not until midnight on December 31, the 6th year of Meiji (1873), that the Arhat Hall was destroyed by fire. The Arhat Pictures were fortunately saved because they were collected and preserved at that time. Later, a series of activities to destroy Buddhism occurred in Japan, and the Arhat Association at Zojoji Temple was also forced to suspend. Five years later, Buddhism gradually revived. In August of the 11th year of Meiji (1878), Kano Kazunobu's wife, Yoshimi Myoan, rebuilt the Arhat Hall and guarded the Arhat picture in the hall, making offerings in the morning and evening to practice diligently. After the death of Kano Kazunobu's wife, his fellow disciples continued to take care of the Arhat Picture until the Arhat Hall was burned down due to the war in 1945. Although the Arhat Hall was burned down, this set of Arhat pictures once again escaped the disaster and remained intact.
Specifications: 172.3 x 85.3 cm
Representative works of the 19th century Japanese shogunate painter Kano Kazunobu
Tokyo Zojoji Temple collection
Zengshang Temple·Five Hundred Arhats Picture (Zengshang Temple Original) is based on the source of Zengshang Temple and the establishment of the temple (Liaoying) 1700-1854), Kano Kazunobu wrote as a painter. He started painting in the spring of the seventh year of Kayaga (1854), spent about ten years, and completed it in the third year of Bunkyu (1863). Unfortunately, Master Liao Ying passed away in 1854, the year he started painting. Later, Liangdi continued to preside, and Kano Kazunobu continued to paint. After completing 96 paintings, Kano Kazunobu died in 1863 at the age of only 48. The remaining four paintings were painted by Kano Kazunobu's disciple Ichijun based on Kano Kazunobu's sketches.
[Kanomotonobu]
Kanomotonobu (kanomotonobu) (1476-15590) is a late Japanese Muromachi painter, known as Daisuke. The eldest son of Kano Masanobu, he is the first descendant of Kano Masanobu, the founder of Kano School. Influenced by his father Masanobu's ink painting style, he added the technique of intense color, thus integrating the new style of the Kano School. Later generations called it the ancient Dharma eye. He was a leading painter of his time and produced screen paintings.
Kano Motobu: He died at the age of 84 in the 13th year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty - 438 years in Jiajing (the 8th year of civilization - the 2nd year of Xianglu, that is, 1476-1559). After shaving his hair, he was named Yongxian and Tamagawa, and was also known as Shirojiro and Daichuisuke. Inheriting the family tradition for the first time, the descendants Tianzhang Zhouwen and Oguri Zongzhan also learned from the Chinese Song Dynasty painters Ma Yuan, Xia Gui, and Mu Yao. They also benefited from the fact that his wife was the daughter of Tosa Mitsunobu, the leader of the imperial painting academy, and had the opportunity to absorb the father-in-law's family. The Yamato-e painting technique, which has been passed down secretly for a long time, has become a great tool, and he was awarded the "Ancient Dharma Eye", the highest rank among painters. He once served as the prefect of the club, and became the official guard in Yueqian. Motonobu's historical role not only laid the foundation of the Kano School, but was also the final point of Muromachi Han paintings and the starting point for the barrier paintings of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. During the seven years from the seventh year of Tenmon to the fourteenth year of Tenmon, Gennobu and his disciples worked tirelessly to make barrier murals at Ishiyama Honganji Temple. At the same time, he also led many disciples to draw fan paintings, which met the needs of all walks of life, including citizens. People at that time regarded the fan paintings of the Kano School as "the best". Yuan Xin actively absorbed various styles of Chinese paintings from the Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties, and was familiar with the techniques of Yamato-e. He integrated them thoroughly and broke away from the constraints of Buddhist art concepts on his creation, creating a fresh and elegant decorative barrier mural style. . This style became a model for the Kano school to learn from and a prototype for the Azuchi-Momoyama period barrier murals. These outstanding achievements make him worthy of being an important painter who created a new era. The subjects of his works are wide ranging, including characters, landscapes, flowers and birds. His major works include "Flowers and Birds" in the spring scenery of Daisenin, three volumes of "The Origin of Kurama Temple" painted in 1513, "Scroll of the Great River and Mountains", "Screen of the Battle of Yashima Genpei", "Statue of Reishuo", "Seven Sages" "Haotu Screen". Pictures of flowers and birds of the four seasons, "Portrait of the Patriarch". In addition, there are also masterpieces handed down from generation to generation such as "Eight Views of Xiaoxiang" (now in the Tokai-an Temple of Myoshinji Temple in Kyoto) and "The Origin of Qingliangji Temple" (now in the Qingliangji Temple in Kyoto). It is an important cultural property of Japan, and most of the seals in the works are tripod-shaped seals.
Kano Motobu is as famous as Wentong, Ma Yuan, and Chen Qingbo in the Song Dynasty, Yan Hui and Zhao Ziang in the Yuan Dynasty, Chen Hongshou in the Ming Dynasty, and Japan's Haibei Tomatsu. Kano Motobu is also regarded as a model of Zen painting, together with the great Japanese painters of the Muromachi period, such as Koon, Moan Reibuchi, Daqiaorujue, and Sesshu.
