Important Cultural PropertyVegetable Parinirvana

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  • By Itō Jakuchū (1706 –1800)
  • Hanging scroll; ink on paper
  • Japan; Edo period, 18th century
  • Kyoto National Museum
  • A甲83

  This masterwork is modeled after of a type of Buddhist painting depicting the death and parinirvana of the Buddha Shakyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), but instead of depicting actual figures in colors on silk, it uses using vegetables and fruits in ink on paper. The Buddha himself is represented by a forked radish placed on an upside-down basket in the center of the screen. Corn stalks stand in for the eight sal trees. The various bodhisattvas, arhats, and animals mourning the death of the Buddha are also depicted botanically; with a round fruit at the upper left-hand edge of the painting representing the bundle containing the Buddha’s staff and alms bowl, hanging as an offering from the sal trees.
  The artist Itō Jakuchū (1716–1800) depicts over sixty kinds of fruits and vegetables in the composition, using varied ink tones and brushwork techniques, including his signature sujimegaki (white line drawing) technique and ink bleeding. As the proprietor of a produce wholesale business, Jakuchū would have had close contact with such items. His renditions skillfully capture the distinctive characteristics of these fruits and vegetables while seemingly breathing life into them: Though wordless, they somehow evoke a sense of sorrow. The distribution of ink tones in the individual motifs throughout the composition is skillfully balanced. Jakuchū’s appeal is evident in this work through the freedom of his brushstrokes, which are both pleasing to the eye and lively enough to keep the viewer engaged.
  The red artist seals impressed on this work suggest that it was painted sometime during a six year period at the end of the artist’s life, between 1794 and 1800. Some scholars, however, have argued based on the painting style that it was done earlier.
  For Jakuchū, who lost his father early in life, the death of his mother in 1779 was a major event. His two younger brothers also passed away much earlier than he did. The loneliness of his longevity must have deeply affected this artist, who remained a bachelor his entire life. As such, we might interpret this painting as a sort of prayer to his lost family members, as well as a wish for the continuing prosperity of the family business; however, the overall work does not exude sadness and gloom. To the contrary, it is full of life. Perhaps because of this inherent vitality, the sight of vegetables cast in such serious roles often elicits smiles from viewers. Many scholars have emphasized that this painting is not a meant to be a parody. It is also important to note that serious context and humorous content are not mutually exclusive, and in fact comfortably coexist in this masterly painting.

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