Enryakuji Temple: Catalog of Imported Ritual Implements

JAPAN, Shiga, Otsu; Heian period

This piece is a catalog of ritual implements that Master Saicho, a monk and calligrapher, brought back to Japan from China. Objects included a lion statue, a ruyi (wish-fulfilling talisman), and prayer beads. In particular, the lion statue is specified as a former possession of a Tiantai school master in China. It is inferred that Saicho highly valued these objects to the extent of cataloging their origins and dedicating them to Enryakuji Temple. The work was listed as a National Treasure of Japan in 1951.
Saicho’s earnestness and deference is apparent in this work as compared to other of his masterpieces, such as Records of the Tendai School. This aspect is reflected in the defined and generously spaced characters, which are carefully rendered in vivid ink with measured and rounded brushstrokes. Furthermore, the somberness of the work is harmonized and uplifted by the free spirit of the running-regular script used.