Japan, Edo period, 16th–early 17th century; hanging scroll, ink, colors, and gold leaf on paper, 59 x 59 1/2 in.; The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, Vassar College, Pratt Fund and Betsy Mudge Wilson, Class of 1956, Memorial Fund, Purchase, 2004.10.
18. Nachi Pilgrimage Mandala
Seigantoji
Seigantoji, Nachi, 2014, photo: Mengna Da.
Once named Nyoirindo, this temple contains the principal icon at Nachi, a sculpture representing the six-armed Nyoirin Kannon. Revealed only once a year on August 17, this icon otherwise rests in a sealed tabernacle. Worshippers offer incense before entering the sanctuary, one of the most important rituals of pilgrimage in East Asia.