Scene from The Illustrated Legends of Jin’ōji Temple (Jin’ōji engi emaki)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jin’ōji is a small temple located at the foot of a mountain southwest of present-day Osaka. This extended section from a much longer handscroll is from a multi-scroll set that illustrates the legends of the temple and its founders. In this panoramic view of the temple complex, monks, pilgrims, and lay officials move from right to left toward the Golden Hall for the annual Great Maitreya Meeting, at which Buddhist scriptures were recited and ceremonies performed for the protection of the nation. The figures are painted in a lively style characterized by strong contours filled with light washes of color. The harmonious blend of landscape, architecture, and devotional practice in a temple setting is a hallmark of the scroll.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art