Miracles performed by the bodhisattva Jizo (copy of a section of a handscroll)

Object Details

• Artist

  Kano Tan'yu 狩野探幽 (1602-1674)

• Label

  This early narrative handscroll (emakimono) depicts miraculous stories of the compassionate bodhisattva Jizo (Kshitigarbha), a Buddhist deity worshipped as a savior of those condemned to hell. With the scroll, Freer acquired a final copy of the section, done in 1627 by Kano Tan'yu. The copy shows text that was later lost from the original scroll. Freer’s acquisition of such copies and preliminary drawings, in addition to finished works of art, expressed his commitment to their research value, which was unusual among collectors at the time. Freer purchased this handscroll in 1907 from the art dealer Nomura Yozo (1870–1965), whose firm in Yokohama, Japan, was known as Samurai Shokai. Nomura commissioned decorative handcrafts designed for export, and he also sold Asian antiquities.

• Provenance

  From 1907 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased through Samurai Shokai, Yokohama, Japan, in 1907 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Makimono List, L. 601, pg. 159, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. See Purchase Details in Accession List, Collections Management Office, which states: "Through Samurai Shokai - during oriental trip 1906-1907." Samurai Shokai was the shop of Nomura Yozo, a dealer who acted as Charles Lang Freer's agent in Japan.

  [2] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Freer: A Taste for Japanese Art (July 1, 2006 to January 1, 2007)

  Telling Tales in Japanese Art (November 23, 1996 to August 14, 1997)

  Japanese Drawings (March 16, 1984 to July 22, 1985)

  Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 1 and 2 (February 25, 1956 to January 1, 1963)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Samurai Shokai (founded 1894) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1710s, 1720s, 1770s, 1780s, 1790s, 1730s, 1740s, 1750s, 1760s, 1800s, 1810s, 1820s, 1830s, 1610s, 1650s, 1640s, 1630s, 1620s, 1690s, 1840s, 1680s, 1850s, 1670s, 1860s, 1660s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Samurai Shokai

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Miracle, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Edo period, Japan, (1600 - 1868), Japanese Art, Bodhisattva

• Culture

  Buddhists, Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings