Jingoji Sutra and Wrapper
Artist unknown Japanese, active 12th century
Late 12th century
View the original$12
Type
Size
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Materials & printing
Archival matte paper, 189 g/m² (10.3 mil), sourced from Japan, printed with multicolor water-based inkjet so every brushstroke stays crisp. Framed prints arrive ready to hang in a .75″ ayous-wood frame with an acrylite front.
Shipping & returns
Made to order and delivered in 5–8 business days (2–4 to print, 3–4 in transit). US shipping only for now. Because each print is made for your order, all sales are final — but if it arrives damaged or defective, send us a photo within 14 days and we’ll replace it free. Full policy.
Why is it this affordable?
A thin, flat margin on every piece — just enough to keep the store running. Most of what you pay is the print itself. We only sell sizes that reproduce at full quality, and we don’t mark up the large sizes the way most shops do.
About this work
The second half of the 12th century was a time of great political instability in Japan. Aristocrats felt as if they were living in an age of mappo, or Buddhist decline, and were preoccupied with the afterlife. This sutra is part of a famous set of 5,000 scriptures likely commissioned by Emperor Toba (1103–1156) and completed by his son, Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1127–1192), in 1185. The frontispiece of the sutra shows the Buddha preaching at Vulture Peak. At the beginning of the text is the seal of Jingoji temple in red. The ruled lines of text are in silver, and the Chinese characters are brushed in gold in a balanced and orderly script. Those with the means to launch such a project believed that all involved received merit and were assured a favorable rebirth in paradise. As a result of this belief, decorated sutras were some of the most extravagant commissions of their time.
- Artist
- Artist unknown Japanese, active 12th century
- Date
- Late 12th century
- Medium
- Gold and silver pigments on indigo-dyed paper, bamboo, silk, mica, and gilt bronze.
- Origin
- Japan
- Style
- Japanese (culture or style)
- Collection
- Arts of Asia
- Reference
- 2008.157 · Art Institute of Chicago