38 Temples Saigoku
Sold – no longer available
This piece was a handmade one-of-a-kind work. It cannot be reordered and will never exist in this form again. The page stays online as part of our archive.
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Details about the sold piece
- Height 195 cm
- Width 67 cm
- Item Type Kakemono
- Jikusaki Metal
- Material Honshi Silk
- Period of Creation Shôwa (1926–1989)
- Technique Hand-Painted
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
At the center of this unusual hanging scroll is a depiction of the Bodhisattva Kannon highlighted in gold, surrounded by numerous handwritten entries and red temple stamps. This is a so-called Nōkyōchō scroll, of the kind pilgrims had made on their way to the temples of the 38 Temples Saigoku pilgrimage: each temple visited left behind calligraphy and a seal as proof of the visit, so that over time a personal, spiritual document of the entire pilgrimage through 38 temples came into being.
The work dates from the Shôwa period (1926–1989) and was created by hand on silk, with the many small stamps and inscriptions possessing a remarkable depth of detail and historical authenticity. Such pilgrimage scrolls survive only rarely today, as they mostly remained in family possession for generations rather than entering the trade.
The roller rods are fitted with metal ends. For collectors of religious Japanese art and pilgrimage culture, this kakemono represents a rare, historically significant testimony that goes far beyond a purely decorative image.
