The Origins of Seikō-ji Temple, Vol. 1

This illustrated scroll recounts the origin of and miraculous events related to the statue of Jizo Bosatsu, or Ksitigharbha, the principal deity of Seikoji, a temple located in Rokkaku-Omiya in Kyoto. The first half features Taira no Sukechika, the governor of Yamashiro, an area located in modern-day Kyoto prefecture. After receiving a divine revelation from a Buddhist priest, the governor finds a statue of Jizo hidden among some brambles. He then builds Seiko-ji temple as a place to house the statue. The second half tells the tale of a nunnery that worships Jizo.

A strong wind has blown the roof off the nunnery, but a young priest, who is a manifest of Jizo, quickly turn up to mend the thatched roof, while Jizo appears in a nun's dream as she passes away. Jizo is depicted in a uniquely dynamic fashion, sitting in some scenes and standing in others. Of further note are the Chinese-style monochrome ink paintings on the sliding doors and folding screens inside Taira no Sukechika's residence. Ink paintings from China were status symbols at that time.

— Museum description: Tokyo National Museum (CC BY 4.0), via ColBase / Japan Search.