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Gallery Text

According to his mythical biography, a series of

bad omens followed Prince Shōtoku’s death around

the year 622. These culminated in an attack on

his son by the warrior Soga no Iruka, bringing the

family line to its end. In this hanging scroll—an

unusually intimate illustration of Prince Shōtoku’s

sacred biography that was originally part of a

larger handscroll—Shōtoku’s son ascends into

the sky from the five-story pagoda his father had

constructed. Shortly thereafter, Soga no Iruka was

himself assassinated.

Identification and Creation

Object Number
1985.409
Title
Life of Prince Shōtoku (Shōtoku Taishi eden) Fragment
Other Titles
Transliterated Title: Shōtoku Taishi eden
Classification
Paintings
Work Type
painting, handscroll
Date
12th-14th century
Places
Creation Place: East Asia, Japan
Period
Kamakura period, 1185-1333
Culture
Japanese
Persistent Link
https://hvrd.art/o/211942

Physical Descriptions

Medium
Handscroll fragment mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
painting proper: H. 15.2 x W. 45.2 cm (6 x 17 13/16 in.)
with mounting, roller ends and suspension cord: H. 99.5 x W. 60.1 cm (39 3/16 x 23 11/16 in.)

Acquisition and Rights

Credit Line
Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of the Hofer Collection of the Arts of Asia
Accession Year
1985
Object Number
1985.409
Division
Asian and Mediterranean Art
Contact
am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu
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Exhibition History

Verification Level

This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu