Kokon Jôruri zukushi series: ‘Ishidômaru’ (Kûkai as a child)
Utagawa Hiroshige
Description
Subject Matter:
Landscape with figures.
Physical Description:
This print illustrates a scene in a jôruri play based on history. Ishidômaru is the childhood name of a figure better known to history as Kûkai, the early 9th-century founder of the Shingon sect of Buddhism in Japan. In this scene, the child Ishidômaru has come to the remote mountain of Mt. Kôya in search of his father, a warrior who had taken the tonsure. When the two finally met, the father refused to recognize his son. The rejection of family ties was one of the basic tenets of monastic life in Buddhism.
Usage Rights:
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.