The Tale of Zenkyōbō

Important cultural property

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Artist: Attributed to the Emperor Go-Kogon( 1338 - 1374 )
Number of components: 1
Format and materials: Ink on paper
Dimensions (in cm): L. 28.0, W. 300.4
Date of production: Kamakura period 14th century

The monk Zenkyōbō visits the home of an aristocrat to explain the teachings of the Buddha. There are no explanatory notes. Instead, the story unfolds through dialog written alongside the characters in the picture. The servants are particularly recalcitrant and the sight of Zenkyōbō dealing with their retorts raises a laugh. The content is deeply religious, but the painting style is that of an approachable and simple ink drawing. There is a sense of reality about the depiction of the work of the servants and the interior of the home where the dialog unfolds. The scroll may have been intended to educate the common people, who would have felt some affinity with the scenes.

Notable Works

The Tale of Zenkyōbō

SUNTORY MUSEUM of ART