A RARE SCROLL FROM A SET OF THE ILLUSTRATED LIFE OF SHINRAN SHONIN, MOMOYAMA PERIOD
This lot is from a single owner collection and is therefore offered without reserve

Published: Jean-Paul Desroches (ed.) et al, Two Americans in Paris: A Quest for Asian Art, Paris, 2016, p. 134-135, no. 231 (described as “the life of Shotoku”).

Exhibited:
1. Pointe-à-Callière Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Montréal, 17 November 2016-19 March 2017.
2. Kimbell Art Museum, From the Lands of Asia. The Sam and Myrna Myers Collection, Fort Worth, Texas, 4 March-19 August 2018.

Japan, late 16^th- early 17^th century. Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold paint on silk. Mounted on a silk brocade frame and set inside a frame, behind glass. Finely painted with scenes from the life of Shinran Shonin, each panel separated by clouds.

Provenance: The Collection of Sam and Myrna Myers, Paris, France. Acquired between circa 1965-2012.
Condition: Very good condition with minor wear. Light fading, minuscule flaking, and minor creasing. Some foxing and scattered soiling. The frame with wear and signs of use.

Dimensions: Image size 134 x 77 cm, Size incl. frame 170 x 84 cm

The lives of monks, who strove to model themselves after the Buddha, were a popular source for illustrated narratives. The first biography of Shinran (1173–1263), who founded the True Pure Land (Jōdo Shinshū ) sect, was written by his grandson Kakunyo (1270–1351). Illustrated versions of the story appeared first in the handscroll format and later as hanging scrolls. The latter were displayed in temple halls during the annual memorial service commemorating Shinran’s death. The entire set of scrolls was made visible to the public, allowing all the episodes in Shinran’s life to be seen at the same time, while a monk recited the story aloud—a type of performance known as etoki (picture explaining).

Shinran entered the monastic life at age eleven, serving as a low-ranking monk at the temple Enryakuji on Mount Hiei, outside Kyoto. In 1201, after Prince Shotoku appeared to him in a dream, he became a disciple of Honen, the founder of the Pure Land sect. Honen convinced him of the difficulty of attaining enlightenment through his own self-power. Honen and Shinran were sent into exile in 1207. They were pardoned a few years later. After developing a ministry in the Kanto region, Shinran evolved a fuller exposition of his teacher's writings and eventually returned to Kyoto around 1235. He made faith, conferred by Amida Buddha, the precondition for attainment of birth into the Pure Land, rather than individual practice. The root source of faith was Amida's compassion. Shinran's ashes were inhjterred in the Otani area of Kyoto, and the location later became the site of the temple Honganji.

Literature comparison:
For a complete set of the scrolls, see the Illustrated Life of Shinran, 17^th-18^th century, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number 2010.366a–d. For the near-identical image see the second painting from the left.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 15 September 2010, lot 533
Price: USD 60,000 or approx. EUR 75,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Anonymous, 17^th century, Life of monk Shinran
Expert remark: Compare the closely related iconography. Note the size (132.7 x 77.5 cm) and that the lot is a complete set. For the near-identical image see the second painting from the left.