Legends of the Yūzū Nembutsu Sect

CC0 Public Domain Designation

Arts of Asia

Kamakura period (1185–1333), 14th century

Artist unknown
Japanese, active 14th century

This handscroll illustrates the foundation of the Yūzū Nembutsu sect of Japanese Buddhism. A priest named Ryōnin (1072–1132) founded the sect in the Heian period (794–1185). He taught that individuals could attain rebirth in the Western paradise of Amida Buddha, the primary buddha of the Pure Land branch of Buddhism, merely by chanting his name. “Yuzu Nembutsu” means “chanting [Amida’s] name in communion”—a reference to the belief that chanting by one person would affect all other beings.

This scene is the culmination of the scroll and shows different faiths coming together in support of Ryōnin.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of Asia

Title: Legends of the Yūzū Nembutsu Sect
Place: Japan (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1185–1333
Medium: Handscroll; ink, colors, and gold on paper
Dimensions: 30.5 × 1176.9 cm (12 × 460 in.)
Credit Line: Kate S. Buckingham Endowment
Reference Number: 1956.1256
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/56731/manifest.json

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Suggested Terms

Currently Off View

Date:

Artist:

About this artwork

Status

Department

Title

Place

Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Medium

Dimensions

Credit Line

Reference Number

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

Extended information about this artwork

Share

Explore Further

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.

Gallery actions

Image actions

Share

IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.