The Miraculous Interventions of Jizo Bosatsu 地蔵菩薩霊験記
date: label: Date
content: 13th century
label: Period
content: Kamakura period
notes: label: Label
content: In Japan Buddhist themes were common in early narrative handscroll paintings, which flourished from the late twelfth century. This handscroll depicts the miracles performed by Jizo, a compassionate bodhisattva (enlightened being). It vividly demonstrates the versatility of the artist in painting people of all social classes with sympathy and realism. A text precedes the episode shown explaining the story of Jizo's appearance in the dream of a Buddhist priest to demand the performance of a ceremonial dance at the Kasuga Shrine in Nara. The extraordinary beauty of the dance led to a belief that the Buddhist deity Jizo and the Shinto deity Kasuga Myojin were two forms of the same deity.
label: Provenance
content: 1907-1920
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer, purchased through Samurai Shokai サムライ商会, 1907, Yokohama, Japan [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [2]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] Samurai Shokai, located in Yokohama, Japan was a famous curio shop in the early 20th century. Nomura Yozo 野村洋三 (1870-1965) opened the store in 1894; by the turn of the century, the store achieved international renown and offered a mail order service. Charles Lang Freer first met Nomura Yozo in 1895, during his first visit to Japan. In 1895, Freer hired
label: Provenance
content: Nomura as his personal guide. Over time, Nomura Yozo became Freer's agent in Japan.
label: Provenance
content: Freer purchased this work in 1907 while traveling in Japan. See "Oriental Painting Inventory," Box 64, Folder 2, Freer Papers, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC copies in object file.
label: Provenance
content: [2] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Provenance
content: Research completed on August 9, 2022
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: In the Shadow of an Apocalypse (October 14, 2017 to October 28, 2018)
label: Exhibition History
content: Freer: A Taste for Japanese Art (July 1, 2006 to January 1, 2007)
label: Exhibition History
content: Telling Tales in Japanese Art (November 23, 1996 to August 14, 1997)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Screens (May 9, 1993 to November 13, 1995)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art--Shinto (October 12, 1976 to December 10, 1976)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art: Painting and Sculpture (July 1, 1966 to May 2, 1973)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Art (January 1, 1963 to July 1, 1966)
label: Exhibition History
content: Centennial Exhibition, Galleries 1 and 2 (February 25, 1956 to January 1, 1963)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Paintings (October 25, 1955 to November 23, 1955)
label: Exhibition History
content: Untitled Exhibition, Japanese Art, 1951 (January 23, 1951 to February 25, 1956)
label: Exhibition History
content: Japanese Paintings and Pottery (May 2, 1923 to December 8, 1941)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Samurai Shokai (founded 1894) (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Japan
topic: label: Topic
content: Buddhism
label: Topic
content: Kamakura period (1185 - 1333)
label: Topic
content: Japan
label: Topic
content: Jizo Bosatsu
label: Topic
content: makimono
label: Topic
content: Japanese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1907.375a
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Ink and color on paper
label: Dimensions
content: H x W: 30.5 x 1431.9 cm (12 x 563 3/4 in)