The Elderly Nun, the Rain-Treasure Child, and the Wish-Fulfilling Jewel: Visualizing Buddhist Networks at the Grand Shrine of Ise

The nunnery Keikōin was a powerful Buddhist institution, famous in late-medieval Japanese history for its vigorous and successful fundraising campaigns on behalf of the Grand Shrine Ise. Much is known about nuns’ activities, but very little their religious practice. A recently discovered painting, I believe, sheds some light this long-standing question. It depicts an elderly nun invoking deity Uhō Dōji form enshrined at Kongōshōji, temple situated top Asama Mountain, to east Ise’s Inner Shrine. Based several iconographic elements, argue portrayed painting from that she shown engaging esoteric practices related those carried out Kongōshōji. Comparative analysis with other paintings historical record has, moreover, led me propose nuns performed these Kora no tachi, hall where young shrine maidens prepared daily food offerings deities.