Mountain Landscapes

KOREA; Goryeo dynasty

These mountain landscape prints were part of the Imperially Composed Explanation of the Secret Treasure in the Tripitaka Koreana carved onto woodblocks during the late 11th century. Some of the prints are now kept in the Nanzenji Temple in Kyoto, Japan, and have been listed as an Important Cultural Property of Japan. The two prints shown here are in the Sung Am Archives of Classical Literature in Seoul, Korea.
On the left side of the first print, within a landscape of mountains and trees depicted with finely carved lines, a monk and another figure sit in a clearing in the forest, appearing to discuss the Dharma. On the right, two figures walk over a bridge and up a rock stairway toward a temple concealed in the mountains.
The second print portrays a similar landscape of detailed trees, towering mountains and swirling clouds. On the left, two figures walk along a path beside a lake toward a third figure who emerges out of the mist between two rocks. On the right, three figures stand in a fenced field beside the water. In the temple above, one monk sits in a high chair and looks down at another who kneels and joins his palms in reverence.