Important Cultural Property
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō

Handscroll, ink on paper
H 30.6, L 372.0
Kamakura period　
13th century
Shōō 2　

Collected Letters of Priest Saichō
  • D041299
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_0
  • D041299
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_1
  • D041301
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_2
  • D041303
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_3
  • D041305
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_4
  • D041307
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_5
  • D041309
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_6
  • D041311
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_7
  • D041313
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_8
  • D041315
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_9
  • D017597
  • 1997/03/07
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_10
  • D017599
  • 1997/03/07
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_11
  • D004050
  • 1992/06/26
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_12
  • A028636
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_13
  • A028637
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_14
  • A028638
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_15
  • A028639
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_16
  • A028640
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_17
  • A028641
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_18
  • A028642
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_19
  • A028643
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_20
  • A028644
  • 2005/08/10
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_21
  • A025272
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_22
  • A025273
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_23
  • A025274
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_24
  • A025275
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_25
  • A025276
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_26
  • A025277
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_27
  • A025278
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_28
  • A025279
  • 1997/12/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_29
  • A024915
  • 1997/03/07
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_30
  • A024916
  • 1997/03/07
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_31
  • A024355
  • 1992/06/26
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_32
  • A023002
  • 1991/02/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_33
  • A023003
  • 1991/02/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_34
  • A023005
  • 1991/02/15
Collected Letters of Priest Saichō_35
  • A023006
  • 1991/02/15

More

 Six letters of priest Saichō (767-822), Saichō's last will, and a written oath by Enchō (772-837), who was one of Saichō's disciples, were copied in this scroll. Five letters were addressed to Priest Kūkai, in which Saichō asked to lend him Buddhist scriptures and a book of Buddhist precepts. He also asked Kūkai to teach Buddhist ideas to his disciples. One letter was sent to one of Saichō's disciples, Taihan, in which Saichō recommended to receive the Kanjō baptism from Priest Kūkai at Takao-san-ji temple. This handscroll has a colophon dated March 18, 1289, which says that this volume was copied by Priest Ryūshō (1264-1314) of Daigo-ji temple. This is the second oldest copy of the "Collected Letters of Priest Saichō". The oldest copy is the Ninna-ji temple version, which was copied in the late Heian period. 
Masterpieces of Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 1993, p.94, no.71. 

Accession Number 1123-0
Category Writings
Artist, Maker or Writer By RykshM
Bibliography Illustrated Catalogue of the Collection of Nara National Museum: Supplement. Nara National Museum, 1999, 108p. (Japanese) Masterpieces from the Collection of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 1997, 350p. (Japanese)

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