Title: Tentaizan Zenzu (A Complete Map of Mt. Tiantai), Circa 1800-1868. An Emakimono Handscroll Depicting a Magnificent Landscape View of Tiantai Mountain, painted in the Southern School Style, Dotted with Hundreds of Trees, Numerous Mountainscapes, and Buildings of Guoqing Temple
Condition: Very Good
A Late Edo Period emakimono handscroll, displaying a long and beautifully painted landscape of beautiful, sweeping mountains, a truly magnificent view of Tiantai Mountain, locatated in Zhejiang Province, China. Legend has it that the creator goddess of Chinese religion, Nuwa, off a giant sea turtle and used them to prop up the sky after the water god Gong Gong damaged Mount Buzhou, the prior bearer of the heavens. The mountain contains the ancient Guoqing Temple, the headquarters of Tiantai Buddhism, which is often depicted in landscapes of Tiantai.
The handscroll has been painted very much in the Southern School style of Chinese painting, with beautifully sweeping hills and crags, all very much sharply defined with masterful linework. There are hundreds of trees dotting the landscape, waterfalls cascading in all directions, and numerous buildings and pagodas, likely those of Guoqing Temple and supporting structures. Looking closely, one can also see several tiny figures milling about and living their lives.
The paintings have been laid down and bound in a scroll for preservation, with a beautiful brocade decorated cover, and there are jikusaki (knobs) made of lacquered wood. There is a wooden box to accompany it, preserving the scroll.
One emakimono (picture scroll) on paper, 33 x 481.5 cm. The knobs are not included as part of the measurement.
This emakimono is in very good shape, with minimal wear or rubbing to the brocade. The painting is in immaculate condition, with minimal staining or soiling to the piece, although there are one or two points where parts of the painting were not laid down evenly to each other.