About This Print
Sources: The Hyoga Times http://www.hyogoajet.net/hyogotimes/category/columns/saigoku-kannon-pilgrimage/
Founded in 749, Ishiyama-dera, located on the southern edge of Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture (previously known as Ōmi province), is the 13th temple on the Saigoku Kannon pilgrimage route. It is built on and amongst wollastonite rock formations (formed when limestone are subjected high temperature such as magma) which Nakazawa has depicted in the foreground. It is famously the place where Murasaki Shikibu began to write the classic Tale of Genji on the night of the full moon, August 1004. To commemorate this event, the temple maintains a Genji Room with a life-size figure of the author at work.
The main enshrined image (honzon) of the temple is the bodhisattva Kannon Chokufūnihinyoirin.
The Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage (Saigoku sanjūsansho junrei)
Sources: website of cultural anthropologist Martin Gray http://www.taleofgenji.org/saigoku_pilgrimage.html and "Buddhist Pilgrim/Buddhist Exile: Old and New Images of Retired Emperor Kazan in the Saigoku Kannon Temple Guidebooks," Mark MacWilliams, appearing in History of Religions, May, 1995, Vol. 34, No. 4, The University of Chicago Press, p. 303-328.
Japan's most famous pilgrimage, originating in the 11th century, encompasses 33 Buddhist temples in Western Japan (Kansai region) dedicated to Kannon (bodhisattva Avalokitasvara), the Bodhisattva of Compassion, who hears the cries of the world and assists anyone in distress.
The 33 temples on the approximately 1,000 kilometer pilgrimage route correspond to Kannon's ability to take on 33 different forms. One hundred thousand pilgrims navigate the route in its entirety or part each year.
Note: For a listing of all 33 temples go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saigoku_Kannon_Pilgrimage. To access an interactive map of the route and its temples go to https://www.thetempleguy.org/p/saigoku-33-kannon-route.html and scroll down towards the bottom of the page.
About the "Picture Album of the Thirty-Three Pilgrimage Places of the Western Provinces"
First issued in 1925 and reprinted in 1946, the 1925 album contains 58 prints and the 1946 album 59 prints. For detailed discussion of the two editions and additional information on the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage see this site's article Nakazawa Hiromitsu - Picture Album of the Thirty-Three Pilgrimage Places of the Western Provinces.
Print Details
IHL Catalog
#2320 and #2413.21 Title or Description Ishiyama-dera (temple 13)
石山寺 (十三) Series Picture Album of the Thirty-Three Pilgrimage Places of the Western Provinces
西国三十三所巡礼画巻 Saigoku sanjūsansho junrei gakan Artist Nakazawa Hiromitsu (1874-1964)
Signature
中澤弘光 [Nakazawa Hiromitsu] printed in lower right margin as shown left Seal of the artist
弘 Hiro Publication Date June 15, 1925 大正十四年六月十五日発行 舞鶴要塞可令部検閲済 [As printed in the right margin of this collection's 1925 print Matsunoo-dera IHL Cat. #2245, the only print in the album that carries a date. The date is followed by an inscription indicating the print was inspected and approved by the authorities at the Maizuru Fort Headquarters, 舞鶴要塞可令部検閲済 (Maizuru Fort Headquarters Inspection Approval). Note that the date of publication on the colophon accompanying the complete 1925 album is September 28, 1925 大正十四年九月十八日発行.] Publisher 發行者 金尾種次郎 publisher Kanao Tanejirō
發兌元 金尾文淵堂 publishing house Kanao Bun'endō
文淵堂版 [Bun'endō han] printed in lower right margin as shown left
Carver Okada Seijirō 岡田清次郎 and Ōkura Fujitarō (Ōkura Tōtarō?) 大倉藤太郎
Note on carvers: the above information is taken from the detailed information in the ADEAC system for the 1925 release. While the printer Okada is well known, the second listed printer 大倉藤太郎 is not and I can find no information on him. Printer Nishimura Kumakichi 西村熊吉 and Yamagata Hidesuki? 山県秀助 Impression IHL Cat. #2320: excellent
IHL Cat. #2413.21: excellent Colors IHL Cat. #2320: excellent
IHL Cat. #2413.21: excellent Condition IHL Cat. #2320: excellent
IHL Cat. #2413.21: good - minor marks and handling folds in upper left and lower right corners Genre shin hanga; shasei kikō (sketch-tour) Miscellaneous
temple/print number 13 appearing in the right margin of the 1925 release Format horizontal oban
H x W Paper
10 1/8 x 15 1/4 in. (25.7 x 38.7 cm) H x W Image
8 9/16 x 11 1/2 in. (21.7 x 29.2 cm) Literature Collections This Print
National Diet Library Call Number 寄別7-8-2-5 (1925 album, no images displayed); National Library Board, Singapore BRN:9854371 (entire 1946 album, no images shown); British Library System number: 017018582 (entire 1946 album, no images shown); Harvard Yenching Library HOLLIS number 990082993710203941 (1925 album, no images displayed)
IHL Catalog | #2320 and #2413.21 |
Title or Description | Ishiyama-dera (temple 13) 石山寺 (十三) |
Series | Picture Album of the Thirty-Three Pilgrimage Places of the Western Provinces 西国三十三所巡礼画巻 Saigoku sanjūsansho junrei gakan |
Artist | Nakazawa Hiromitsu (1874-1964) |
Signature | ![]() |
Seal of the artist | ![]() |
Publication Date | June 15, 1925 大正十四年六月十五日発行 舞鶴要塞可令部検閲済 [As printed in the right margin of this collection's 1925 print Matsunoo-dera IHL Cat. #2245, the only print in the album that carries a date. The date is followed by an inscription indicating the print was inspected and approved by the authorities at the Maizuru Fort Headquarters, 舞鶴要塞可令部検閲済 (Maizuru Fort Headquarters Inspection Approval). Note that the date of publication on the colophon accompanying the complete 1925 album is September 28, 1925 大正十四年九月十八日発行.] |
Publisher | 發行者 金尾種次郎 publisher Kanao Tanejirō 發兌元 金尾文淵堂 publishing house Kanao Bun'endō ![]() |
Carver | Okada Seijirō 岡田清次郎 and Ōkura Fujitarō (Ōkura Tōtarō?) 大倉藤太郎 Note on carvers: the above information is taken from the detailed information in the ADEAC system for the 1925 release. While the printer Okada is well known, the second listed printer 大倉藤太郎 is not and I can find no information on him. |
Printer | Nishimura Kumakichi 西村熊吉 and Yamagata Hidesuki? 山県秀助 |
Impression | IHL Cat. #2320: excellent IHL Cat. #2413.21: excellent |
Colors | IHL Cat. #2320: excellent IHL Cat. #2413.21: excellent |
Condition | IHL Cat. #2320: excellent IHL Cat. #2413.21: good - minor marks and handling folds in upper left and lower right corners |
Genre | shin hanga; shasei kikō (sketch-tour) |
Miscellaneous | ![]() |
Format | horizontal oban |
H x W Paper | 10 1/8 x 15 1/4 in. (25.7 x 38.7 cm) |
H x W Image | 8 9/16 x 11 1/2 in. (21.7 x 29.2 cm) |
Literature | |
Collections This Print | National Diet Library Call Number 寄別7-8-2-5 (1925 album, no images displayed); National Library Board, Singapore BRN:9854371 (entire 1946 album, no images shown); British Library System number: 017018582 (entire 1946 album, no images shown); Harvard Yenching Library HOLLIS number 990082993710203941 (1925 album, no images displayed) |
last revision:
1/25/2021
12/20/2020
7/4/2020
6/30/2020 created