Copies of the Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine III: Various Aspects of Reproduction
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Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Kishu version), Vol. 3, Copied by Reizei Tamechika and others, Edo period, dated 1845 (On exhibit through February 12, 2017)
Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Thematic Exhibition Room
January 17, 2017 (Tue) - March 12, 2017 (Sun)Since its establishment, the Kasuga shrine (Kasugataisha) in Nara has received the faith of countless individuals. The blessings bestowed and the miracles performed by the gods worshipped at this shrine are portrayed in the Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (The Museum of the Imperial Collections). This work comprises 20 scrolls that were created in the second half of the Kamakura period (1192–1333) by Takashina no Takakane, an official painter to the imperial court. They are considered some of the greatest illustrated scrolls in Japan and were copied from the 18th century. The museum is holding a series of thematic exhibitions that highlight the beauty of these copies while examining the Kasuga faith from various angles. The current exhibition, the third in the series, brings together a number of copies from outside the museum: the Yomei Bunko version, which was commissioned by the imperial regent Konoe Iehiro (1667–1736) and painted by Watanabe Shiko (1683–1755); the Kasuga version, commissioned by the reformer Matsudaira Sadanobu (1759–1829); the Tokugawa Art Museum version, which was passed down by the Hachisuka clan of Awa province (now Tokushima); and the Shingu version, which was passed down within the Tankaku Bunko collection in Shingu domain of Kishu province (now Wakayama). In addition to these, a copy in the museum’s collection that was ordered by Tokugawa Harutomi (1771–1852), the lord of Kishu, and painted by the celebrated artist Reizei Tamechika (1823–64) will also be on display.
The exhibition will compare these copies while examining the backgrounds of their production. Visitors are invited to view this thematic exhibition together with the special exhibition “Eternal Treasures from Kasugataisha Shrine.”
Current exhibit includes:
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Yomei Bunko version), Vol. 3, Edo period, dated 1735 (Lent by Yomei Bunko, On exhibit through February 12, 2017)
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Yomei Bunko version), Vol. 15, Edo period, dated 1735 (Lent by Yomei Bunko, On exhibit through February 14, 2017)
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Kasuga version), Vol. 3, Edo period, dated 1807 (Lent by Kasugataisha, On exhibit through February 12, 2017)
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Kasuga version), Vol. 15, Edo period, dated 1807 (Lent by Kasugataisha, On exhibit through February 14, 2017)
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Tokugawa Art Museum version), Vol. 3, Edo period, 19th century (Lent by Tokugawa Museum of Art, On exhibit through February 12, 2017)
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Tokugawa Art Museum version), Vol. 15, Edo period, 19th century (Lent by Tokugawa Museum of Art, On exhibit through February 14, 2017)
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Shingu version), Vol. 3, Edo period, 19th century (Private collection, On exhibit through February 12, 2017)
Illustrated Scrolls of Kasuga Shrine (Shingu version), Vol. 15, Edo period, 19th century (Private collection, On exhibit through February 14, 2017)