Page 55 - 2021 March 16th Japanese and Korean Art, Christie's New York City

The protagonist depicted here, Yuten (1637-1718), is succeeded to be an outstanding priest prized by the
the thirty-sixth abbot of Zōjō-ji, the main Jōdo-shū Tokugawa clan.
(Pure Land) Buddhist temple in the Kanto region,
As a pupil of Unno Yoshimori I (1785-1862), Moritoshi
located at Tokyo.
accomplished to be a metal sword fittings expert under
The cover of this beautiful box illustrates the famous the Mito School, modern-day Ibaraki prefecture where
story of the young Yuten’s moment of awakening. As an he studied metalwork before moving to Edo after the
unintelligent disciple, he was expelled from the temple Meiji restoration. Moritoshi’s son Unno Yoshimori II
by failing to recite sutras. While praying for Fudō Myōō (1864-1919) is also a successful metalwork artist who
to offer him wisdom, he dreamed of the wrathful deity taught at Tokyo School of Fine Art and was appointed
stabbing a kurikarasword through his throat; upon Teishitsu Gigei-In(Imperial Household Artist) in 1892.
waking, he was enlightened and empowered. Yuten