Religious Handscroll: The Flying Storehouse

    Shigisan engi emaki (Legends of Mt. Shigi scroll) shows the respect for monks, myth, and magic depicting the famous story of the miraculous alms bowl that attached itself to the frugal farmer's grain house and brought it back to the monastery.

    With the high elevated view and attention to detail, this emaki is a prime example of Heian court painting 'yamato-e,' a classical Japanese technique, which exhibits the link between court patronage and Buddhist temples.