Cover Graphics

Tateyama mandala (replica) Astrolabe (main collection)

Tateyama mandala (replica)
Tateyama, which rises in the eastern part of the Etchu region, has long been considered a sacred mountain. Proselytizing warrior monks carried Tateyama mandala images which they used a spictorial teaching materials. The original work shown here as a photograph was created in the early Edo Era and was passed on to Raikouji (a temple in Toyama city). This is considered to be the oldest Tateyama mandala. Amida, Kannon and Seishi, the three Buddhas who welcome believers to the Western Paradise and 25 welcoming bodhisattvas and celestial beings are shown in the heavens above the Tateyama Range which is shown as the Western Paradise. In the lower section various scenes of hell, such as a pond of blood, Children's Limbo, and a fiery chariot, are depicted.

Astrolabe (main collection)
It is necessary to understand the movements of celestial objects such as the sun and moon in order to make a calendar to determine the passage of time. The astrolabe is a tool for measuring the position of celestial objects and it was also used as a teaching device to explain the movement of celestial bodies. The earth is placed in the middle of the astrolabe, and around it are attached spheres which represent the equators and ellipses of the heavens, and the moon's orbit.

Index

A Witness to History

A photographic introduction to items from the collection
The Battles of Kiso Yoshinaka (folding screen painting)
 

Special Edition

Commoners in the late Edo Era and the "ee ja nai ka" movement Matsui Ryosuke
The concept of pessimism in the latter days of the Law (mappo) and the age of Kyodzuka Muraki Jiro
"The End of the World" and Modern Religion Shimazono Susumu

30th Rekihaku Colloquy

Museums in the 21st century Hamada Takashi and Sahara Makoto
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