Looking at Art

This scene illustrates an episode from the chapter, “The End of the Life of Kiso Yoshinaka,” in The Tale of the Heike, a thirteenth-century recounting of the wars between two powerful clans, the Heike and the Genji (also called the Taira and the Minamoto). By the time this painting was made, important episodes from The Tale of the Heike such as this one were widely familiar and had become popular subjects for paintings.

Do you want to make your own tomb guardian? They will need to be strong and fierce to keep unwanted spirits out of your tomb and keep your tomb objects safe.

A True Picture of the Steamship Powhatan; A Ship Generally Called a Steam Frigate…, from the Black Ship Scroll, Edo period (1615-1868); approx. 1854. Japan. Handscroll segment mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper. Museum purchase with assistance from the Japan Society of Northern California, 2012.60.2.

A guardian king, Heian period (794–1185), approx. 900–1000. Japan. Wood. The Avery Brundage Collection, B67S1.

Shodo Harada Roshi, the abbot of Sogenji, a 17th century monastery in Okayama in Japan and international teacher of Rinzai Zen Buddhism, demonstrates his large scale calligraphy works.

Zhoong Kui (the demon queller) on a donkey, 1941, Pu Ru (1896-1963). China. Hanging scroll; ink and colors on paper. Acquisition made possible by John W. and Christine C. Barr, B82D2.

Audio tour for The demon Maricha tries to Dissuade Ravana, approx. 1780

A woman disguised as a man holding a parrot, 618–906. China; Shaanxi province. Glazed low-fired ceramic. The Avery Brundage Collection, B65P52.

Rituals and traditions of the Chinese Lunar New Year.