Title: Rokudo-e (The Six Realms of Rebirth), Circa 1800-1890. A Late Edo to Meiji Painting Depicting the Buddhist Realms of the Afterlife, with one Yokai Depiction
Condition: Very Good
A Late Edo to Meiji Period, 19th century painting depicting scenes from the Rokudo-e, also known as the Six Realms of Rebirth, or the Buddhist Realms of the Afterlife.
The painting depicts several of the realms of existence according to Buddhist teaching, and in this case, the Heavenly Realms. In the Heavenly Realm, the Amida can be seen, with dozens of attendants atop clouds. Below that are scenes of various monks, and scenes of regular life as well, including a Yokai terrorizing a family grieving over the recently deceased.
According to the text of the Rokudo-E, each world contains the others, and - as Tendai teaches - one instantaneous thought contains 3,000 worlds. Further, if each time the believer recites the ‘sūtra’ 10,000 or, better, 100,000 times and inks in one of the small circles, he will reach the Pure Land when all are completed.
The painting has been neatly mounted onto a brocade decorated kakejiku (hanging scroll), the jikusaki (knobs) lacking.
One painting mounted on a kakejiku (hanging scroll), 184.5 x 78.5 cm full size, 127.7 x 63.4 cm main painting
This painting is in very good shape, with the outside of the scroll fabric worn and frayed and stained. The edges of the brocade are also worn and chipped. There is some staining to the painting, mostly to the area of the heavenly realm and the image of the Buddha.