Yet to be identified Kōyasan monk – 高野山の坊さん – One-stroke Snake of Kōyasan Temple – 一筆高野山の蛇

SOLD. THANK-YOU!

One-stroke snake or dragon painting is an ancient technique that has been handed down for untold generations between master and apprentice monks residing at temples and shrines all over Japan and China. At Kōyasan Temple (a large UNESCO World Heritage Site), there is an ancient monument of worship to the snakes that have always lived on the temple grounds and they are part of the folklore of the area. The snake is symbolic of the yin, -things closed, concealed, shadowy and hidden, as well as representative of the passive feminine, the earth, darkness and the cold. Of course, the yin cannot exist without the yang. The temple is also associated with a University where serious scholars of the Shingon sect of Buddhism can study to become a monk. A few creases otherwise good condition.

$275 – SOLD. THANK-YOU!