Title: Sanja Takusen (The Oracles of the Three Shrines), Circa 1840-1860. An Uncommon Shinto-Buddhist Painting Depicting the Medieval Virtues of Honesty, Pureness of Mind, and Compassion
Author: Attributed to Fujiwara Hideyoshi, also known as Oguchi Kaga no Kami
Condition: Very Good
A Late Edo Period, Mid 19th century painting depicting the Sanja Takusen, also known as the Oracles of the Three Shrines.
A trio of deities that circulated widely from the Middle Ages until the early modern period, the painting depicts the divine figures Tenshō-kōtaijingū (Amaterasu) being in the center, Hachiman Daibosatsu on the right and Kasuga Daimyōjin on the left.
The oracles are based on the amalgamation of Shintō and Buddhism (shinbutsu shūgō) and express the medieval virtues of honesty (shōjiki), pureness of mind (shōjō), and compassion (jihi).
The painting is attributed to Fujiwara Hideyoshi, a painter of the late Edo period. He was appointed as Kaga no Kami and was entitled Oguchi Kaga no Kami.
While there are no definitive dates for his birth and date, there are several dates noting artwork he created during the Tenpo and Ansei Eras.
There is a wooden box to accompany the painting, preserving it.
One painting on paper, 115.5 x 56.5 cm
This painting is in very good shape, with some rubbing and wear to the paper, with heavier paper loss at the top of the paper, though surprisingly, the main paintings are left unaffected.