Yoshino and Kumano: Legacies from Sacred Mountain Sites

Twitter

The God Zaō Gongen, Found on the Kinpu Mountain Range, Nara, Heian period, 12th century (Important Art Object)

Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14
May 28, 2024 (Tue) - July 15, 2024 (Mon)

Yoshino and Kumano are two sacred sites located in the Kii Mountain Range in western Japan. Recognized widely as Japan’s eminent sacred mountain sites, they were added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List as part of the “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range” in 2004.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of this registration, this exhibition presents objects in the Tokyo National Museum collection with connections to this sanctified region. They include objects excavated from the Nachisan and Kinpusen Sutra Mounds, as well as artifacts that were excavated from the peak of Mount Ōmine and belong to Ōminesanji Temple―the center of mountain asceticism of Yoshino and Ōmine in Nara Prefecture. This exhibition sheds light on artistic forms unique to Japanese mountain asceticism.

List of Exhibits

Major works in this exhibition

* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.

Ritual Gong (Kei) with a Lotus Pond, Found on the Kinpu Mountain Range, Nara, Heian period, 12th century (Important Cultural Property)

Head of a Monk’s Staff, Found on the Kinpu Mountain Range, Nara, Heian period, 11th century

The God Zaō Gongen, Found at the Mount Ōmine Peak Site, Nara, Heian period, 11th–12th century (Important Cultural Property, Lent by Ōminesanji Temple, Nara)

The God Zaō Gongen, Found at the Mount Ōmine Peak Site, Nara, Heian period, 12th century (Important Cultural Property, Lent by Ōminesanji Temple, Nara)

Mirror with Three Gods, Found on the Kinpu Mountain Range, Nara, Heian period, 1051

The Buddha of Infinite Life, Found on Mount Nachi, Wakayama, Heian period, 12th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshirō and two others)

Incense Burner with a Handle, Found on Mount Nachi, Wakayama, Heian period, 11th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshirō and two others)

Mirror with the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva Kannon, Found on Mount Nachi, Wakayama, Heian period, 12th century (Gift of Mr. Kitamata Tomeshirō and two others)

Pamphlet