National Treasure Gallery | Hell Scroll
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Hell Scroll (detail), Heian period, 12th century (National Treasure)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 2
July 7, 2020 (Tue) - August 10, 2020 (Mon)Buddhism teaches that after people die, they are reborn as one of six types of beings: a god, human, demigod, animal, hungry ghost, or being who suffers in hell. This scroll depicts the realm of people reborn as hungry ghosts because of their greed and jealousy. Hungry ghosts always suffer from hunger and thirst, never able to satisfy these basic desires. This scroll was commissioned by the nobles of the imperial court and reflects their beliefs about life after death.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | National Treasure | Hell Scroll | Heian period, 12th century | A-10942 |