This is an unfinished portrait study of Priest Seigen (1162–1231). The inscription identifies him as the abbot of Henchi-in, a subtemple of Daigo-ji in Kyoto. In 1203 he was appointed the 24th chief priest of Daigo-ji, one of the most influential Esoteric Buddhist temples in Japanese history. The blotches on the priest's face may have been caused by smallpox.
Date
1300
date QS:P571,+1300-00-00T00:00:00Z/9
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and slight color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 25.5 x 40.9 cm (10 1/16 x 16 1/8 in.); Overall: 107.8 x 53.4 cm (42 7/16 x 21 in.); with knobs: 107.8 x 58.2 cm (42 7/16 x 22 15/16 in.)
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http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.enCC0Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedicationfalsefalse