[Architecture]
Plans for the Door of the Ankokuden at the Zojo-ji Temple, Japan
Japan, 1807 (Bunka 4). Oblong 4to, 10 3/4 x 15 1/4 in. (27.3 x 38.7 cm). (26) pp. Illustrated with numerous hand-colored architectural plans printed on Japanese rice paper. Limp self-wrappers, dampstaining affecting all leaves, scattered spotting, creasing at edges. Founded in 1393, Zojo-ji is the main temple for the Jodo shu branch of Buddhism, the most widely practiced Buddhist branch in Japan along with Jodo Shinshu. In 1598 the temple was moved by Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, from its original location in the Kanto region of Eastern Japan to its current location in present-day Tokyo. From there it served as the family temple for the Tokugawa family, as well as an administrative center and seminary. The plans depicted here form the entrance way to the Ankokuden, a shrine holding the Black Image of Amida Buddha. Worshipped by Tokugawa Ieyasu, it is said to ward off evil and bring victory.