Minneapolis Institute of Art

Portrait of Dengai Sōsa

Japan

Date

1671

Medium

Hanging scroll, ink, color, and gold leaf on silk

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In his later years, Dengai Sōsa (1607–75) was the head priest of Tōkaiji Temple in Edo (now Tokyo), affiliated with the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. The master-pupil relationship is highly valued in Zen Buddhism, which instructs that enlightenment can only be achieved through meditation, with teachers passing on the appropriate practice. When a pupil had mastered this practice, a chinsō (ritual portrait) was created, representing the master’s teachings and the student’s induction into the lineage. Drawn four years before he passed away (or entered nirvana, following Buddhist beliefs), Dengai wears a formal brocade known as a kesa over his robes and holds a monk’s staff.

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