Description
This is an exceptional portrait of Ikkyu, an unconventional Zen monk. Originally a rough sketch, this work features a vivid portrayal of this famous monk.
A man shoots a diagonal glance at the viewer. This is a portrait of Ikkyu Sojun, a Zen priest during the Muromachi period, which lasted from 1392 to 1573. Today, owing to anecdotes created after his time, Ikkyu is widely known in Japan as being an affable, quick-witted monk, but in fact, he was an unconventional man who fiercely criticized contemporary Zen Buddhism with his extreme speech and action.
With his untamed hair, deep wrinkles and unkempt stubble, he looks quite dishevelled in this portrait. It is thought this was originally just a rough sketch, with the details drawn without any embellishments to serve as a reference when painting the formal portrait. As such, this depiction is imbued with a vivid realness, as if Ikkyu is stood there right before us.
The inscription above the portrait features Ikkyu's words written out by a disciple. These state that Ikkyu is the only person capable of speaking about Zen. Ikkyu's daring look in this portrait seems to reflect this bold declaration.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
May 25, 2026