Harvard Art Museums > 1985.409: Life of Prince Shōtoku (Shōtoku Taishi eden) Fragment Paintings Collections Search Exit Deep Zoom Mode Zoom Out Zoom In Reset Zoom Full Screen Add to Collection Order Image Copy Link Copy Citation Citation"Life of Prince Shōtoku (Shōtoku Taishi eden) Fragment , 1985.409,” Harvard Art Museums collections online, Nov 25, 2024, https://hvrd.art/o/211942. Reuse via IIIF Toggle Deep Zoom Mode Download This object does not yet have a description. Gallery Text According to his mythical biography, a series of bad omens followed Prince Shōtoku’s death around the year 622. These culminated in an attack on his son by the warrior Soga no Iruka, bringing the family line to its end. In this hanging scroll—an unusually intimate illustration of Prince Shōtoku’s sacred biography that was originally part of a larger handscroll—Shōtoku’s son ascends into the sky from the five-story pagoda his father had constructed. Shortly thereafter, Soga no Iruka was himself assassinated. Identification and Creation Object Number 1985.409 Title Life of Prince Shōtoku (Shōtoku Taishi eden) Fragment Other Titles Transliterated Title: Shōtoku Taishi eden Classification Paintings Work Type painting, handscroll Date 12th-14th century Places Creation Place: East Asia, Japan Period Kamakura period, 1185-1333 Culture Japanese Persistent Link https://hvrd.art/o/211942 Physical Descriptions Medium Handscroll fragment mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper Dimensions painting proper: H. 15.2 x W. 45.2 cm (6 x 17 13/16 in.) with mounting, roller ends and suspension cord: H. 99.5 x W. 60.1 cm (39 3/16 x 23 11/16 in.) Acquisition and Rights Credit Line Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Bequest of the Hofer Collection of the Arts of Asia Accession Year 1985 Object Number 1985.409 Division Asian and Mediterranean Art Contact am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu Permissions The Harvard Art Museums encourage the use of images found on this website for personal, noncommercial use, including educational and scholarly purposes. To request a higher resolution file of this image, please submit an online request. Exhibition History Prince Shōtoku: The Secrets Within, Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, 05/25/2019 - 08/11/2019 Verification Level This record was created from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator; it may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. For more information please contact the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art at am_asianmediterranean@harvard.edu