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Sôhan Gempô (Shôun) (1848-1922)
Zenga
Mount Fuji
Signed: Murasakino Shôun sô
Seals: Kenshô Sôhan, Shôun kanrô
Technique: sumi on paper 39 x 31,8
Mounting: grey crushed paper and brown paper 1309 x 43,3
Condition: a few stains at the bottom of the mounting, otherwise very good

水晶□出玻璃盆
八面珍瓏玉一痕
Water crystals thrown of a glass dish,
with a beautiful shape on all sides and a sweep of jade.
(HK)

Sôhan Gempô was the eldest son of a Shinto priest in Ishikawa Komatsu. At the age of twelve he became a monk at the Kôgen-ji in Kanazawa. He entered the Empuku-ji at Kyoto in 1880 where he studied under the priest Kasan Zenryô (1824-93). After he had received the kôan: ‘The single hand at Mount Fuji’s summit’ from Kasan, Shôun climbed mount Fuji seven times to penetrate its meaning. He left the Empuku-ji and went to Dôrin-ji in Tokyo to study under Nantembô (1839-1925) from whom he received his inka. He returned to Kasan to complete his studies and after Kasan’s death and he moved on to Kenshô-ji in Kumamoto. In 1898 he was invited to return to the Empuku-ji to train monks in the sôdô, training hall. In 1901 he traveled to China after which he asked Nantembô to take over the training hall. In 1908 Gempô became 486th generation kanchô (chief abbot) of the Daitoku-ji in Kyoto until his death in 1922.

Reference:
Seo pp. 84 ff
Moog p. 440

Price:
SOLD