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Ema (Votive Painting) of a Chinese Lion and Peony Tree by Flowing Water

1631
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 229
Ema, wood votive plaques bearing painted images, are used as offerings at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to make a prayer or give thanks. This example bearing an auspicious pattern dates to the twenty-fifth day of the third month of 1631. An inscription on the reverse records the donor’s neighborhood as Moto-Yasaka. From the Edo period onward, the practice of dedicating ema expanded among commoners, who offered prayers for everyday concerns including household safety, business prosperity, and good health. As the range of petitions broadened, so too did the imagery and styles of ema. While many of the designs were produced by local painters, others were created by well-known ukiyo-e artists in hand-painted formats.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 水辺に牡丹と唐獅子図絵馬「寛永八 年末三月廿五日」
  • Title: Ema (Votive Painting) of a Chinese Lion and Peony Tree by Flowing Water
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: 1631
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Ink, color, and gold leaf on wood
  • Dimensions: 7 3/8 x 9 3/4 in. (18.7 x 24.8 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.268.139
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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