Artworks

Taima Mandara engi emaki

Artwork · Anonymous · mid 13th century · emakimono · Kamakura Museum of National Treasures

Two scrolls by an unknown artist on the legend of the original Taima tapestry: Princess Chūjō, a nun at Taimadera, vowed to see Amida in living form; a young woman visiting from the court — Kannon in disguise — weaves the mandala in one night from lotus threads she has dyed five colours, and an old nun — Amida — explains it to her. A rare glimpse of the role of women in Japanese Buddhism. 1 Mason 2005, pp. 207–209, fig. 240. ↩ Literatur Mason 2005: Penelope E. Mason, History of Japanese Art, 2nd, Pearson Education LTD. 2005.