Kojoin Reception Hall Screen Paintings (25 Screens) ｜ Cultural Properties ｜ Miidera Temple Cultural Property Museum ｜ The Head Temple of the Tendaijimon Buddhist Sect Miidera Temple

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Screen paintings by the Kano school are preserved in the two rooms in the southern corridor of the Kojoin Reception Hall. These gorgeous works display the unique characteristics of the late Momoyama period (1573–1600). The gold-grounded “Pine Tree and Waterfall” colored screen painting in the large alcove of the ichi-no-ma chamber displays the typical screen-painting style of the time. The “Chrysanthemum Flowers” screen painting on the top level of the tsuke-shoin alcove is another elegant series of works, closely resembling the style of Kano Sanraku, who the temple claims to be the artist responsible.
The screen paintings on twenty fusuma sliding doors in the ni-no-ma chamber, meanwhile, use colors on unprimed paper to depict flowers and birds throughout the four seasons. The four screens on the north side show scenes of spring and summer, with pine trees distributed on the two left-hand screens while large peony blossoms bloom by water and swallows flutter about on the two right-hand screens. The four screens on the west side shift through the seasons to autumn and winter, depicting sasanqua and chrysanthemum flowers interspersed with wild and mandarin ducks, while a snowcapped mountain stands in the background. Each set of works is notable for showing a unique sense of individuality, even when compared with other paintings by the Kano school.

“Kojoin Reception Hall”

“two rooms in the southern corridor”

“Kano school”

Its founder is Kano Masanobu, and the school was made up of the lineage of his family members and other unrelated artists. The school flourished as the official artists of samurai between the late Muromachi period (1336–1573) to the Edo period (1603–1868).

“Momoyama period”

One of the classifications of periods. Approximately 20 years of the period while Toyotomi Hideyoshi took power in the late 16th century. For art history, between the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the early Edo period is important as a transition period between medieval Japan and early modern times. In particular, constructions of magnificent castles, palaces, temples, and shrines, as well as decorative paintings on paper sliding doors and screens inside those buildings were developed. Also, the development of genre-paintings that show ordinary life and craft technology such as pottery, lacquer work, dyeing and weaving is remarkable.

“Pine Tree and Waterfall”

“tsuke-shoin”

A small place attached to the side of tokonoma alcove and made of wooden boards. It protrudes toward the porch, and has paper screen sliding doors in front and an attached desk. Also called shoin-doko, idashifu-zukue, shoin-gamae, shoin-dana, akari-doko, and akari-join.

““Chrysanthemum Flowers” screen painting ”

“Kano Sanraku”

Kano Sanraku (1559–1635) was a painter in the Azuchi-Momoyama period and the early Edo period. The founder of the Kyogano school. His real name was Mitsuyori, and he was also called Shurinosuke. He was originally from the Kimura family and from Omi Province. He learned from Kano Eitoku and was allowed to have the surname Kano. He served the Toyotomi family and provided his work to Osaka Castle, Jurakutei Palace and Shitennoji Temple. His style is powerful and decorative. He produced screen paintings for Daikakuji Temple and other temples.

Cultural Property of Japan

Kojoin Reception Hall Screen Paintings (25 Screens)