Shigisan-engi
Encyclopedia
is a scroll painting
done in the early 12th century. The story details miracles which were attributed to the Shingon monk Myoren, who resided on Mount Shigi near Nara
in Japan
in the latter part of the 9th century.
The tales are composed in the genre of engi
. Engi is a narrative that chronicles the founding of a Buddhist establishment which, in the case of the Shigisan engi, is Chogosonshi-ji, founded by Myoren. The tales are painted in a style called otoko-e, or "men's pictures", a style characterized by active movement, outdoor scenes and a certain feeling of lacking restraint.
The work is also a prime example of Heian
scroll
painting. As a work that draws from classical Japanese culture, it is referred to as yamato-e
(as opposed to the Chinese themes inherent in kara-e.)
Emakimono
, often simply called , is a horizontal, illustrated narrative form created during the 11th to 16th centuries in Japan. Emakimono combines both text and pictures, and is drawn, painted, or stamped on a handscroll...
done in the early 12th century. The story details miracles which were attributed to the Shingon monk Myoren, who resided on Mount Shigi near Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in the latter part of the 9th century.
The tales are composed in the genre of engi
Engi
Engi is a former municipality in the canton of Glarus in Switzerland. Effective from 1 January 2011, Engi is part of the municipality of Glarus Süd.-Geography:...
. Engi is a narrative that chronicles the founding of a Buddhist establishment which, in the case of the Shigisan engi, is Chogosonshi-ji, founded by Myoren. The tales are painted in a style called otoko-e, or "men's pictures", a style characterized by active movement, outdoor scenes and a certain feeling of lacking restraint.
The work is also a prime example of Heian
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
scroll
Scroll
A scroll is a roll of parchment, papyrus, or paper, which has been drawn or written upon.Scroll may also refer to:*Scroll , the decoratively curved end of the pegbox of string instruments such as violins...
painting. As a work that draws from classical Japanese culture, it is referred to as yamato-e
Yamato-e
Yamato-e is a style of Japanese painting inspired by Tang Dynasty paintings and developed in the late Heian period. It is considered the classical Japanese style...
(as opposed to the Chinese themes inherent in kara-e.)