“Tenmangū,” Sugawara no Michizane as Tenjin Traveling to China

Sengai Gibon

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This spontaneously sketched image of a Japanese courtier by the Rinzai Zen monk Sengai Gibon alludes to the famous story of Tenjin traveling to Tang-dynasty China. Tenjin is the name given to Heian-period statesman Sugawara Michizane (845–903) after he died in exile and was posthumously recognized as a Shinto deity. The three highly-cursive characters to the left of the figure read ““Tenmangū,” which is the name of shrines created in Tenjin’s honor. By extension, “Tenmangū” can also be used to refer to Tenjin or Michizane himself, as here. The plum was Michizane's favorite flower and he is often represented holding a branch of blossoming prunus. This theme was particularly popular with artists inspired by Zen Buddhism, for instance, see the version created by Konoe Nobutada (2015. 300.72).

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