large antique ema, meiji era bijinga ema, japanese folk art painting

Love Japanese Style Like We Do

A nice piece of Japanese folk art; an old temple/shrine ema. Large ema like this appeared around the Edo and Meiji Era. Unlike the spiritual function of the smaller ema, large ema were more like objects of art, painted for both the gods and the viewing public. They were hung in special ema halls which eventually became somewhat like art galleries.

This ema is painted with Bijinga artwork (pictures depicting the beauty of the appearance, manners, and customs of women). Such paintings were popular in this period with the word ‘Bijinga’ actually being coined during this time.

The elegant kimono clad woman, holding a fan, sits on a bench enjoying the garden scenery while drinking tea. The image is painted in mineral pigments, directly onto a wooden board, in the shape of a horse stable.

Although difficult to see the following has been written on the back of this very large and heavy votive plaque. From the right, ‘Meiji juni nen’ the year the ema was painted (the twelfth year of Meiji - 1879). ‘Honnou,’ meaning to dedicate, contribute items or perform dances or rituals to please the Gods. And the name of the person who who made this offering.

A rare item, the ema is in good structural condition with a very slight warp to the panel under the roof. This does not pose a problem for display. Although there is paint fading, some dents and scratches, the piece still retains its beauty as a lovely old Japanese folk art painting.

- measures around 57 cm (22.4”) across x 39 cm (15.3”) tall x 4 cm (1.6”) deep.
- weighs 630 gm.

(listing for ema only)

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We list pieces we feel are worthy of display. There may be scratches, dents, fading and signs of wear and tear. We try to explain the condition of each item exactly, but may miss something.

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EMA
These votive plaques date to the reign of the Emperor Suinin. It was this ancient leader that instituted the use of haniwa clay figures in lieu of live burials when tombs were built for the wealthy. The horses (shimme) that were previously placed in the grave then came to be gifts to shrines. They were thought to be horses for the gods to ride. It wasn't long before these ‘gift horses’ became more trouble than they were worth. The next logical step was making a replica of these horses and so the wooden ema votive plaque came into being. Ema, literally means picture horse.

The majority of ema were wood plaques, simply fashioned in the shape of a two dimensional gabled roof stable with a prancing steed or two inside. Gradually they came to be painted with animals of the zodiac, good luck images, deities, such as Kannon and Jizo and other specific icons depending on their intended purpose.

Prayers and wishes are written on the back of the ema and they are left hanging at the shrine, where the gods are believed to receive them. They are then ritually burned at special events, freeing the wish from the writer.

LARGE EMA
During the Edo and Meiji eras another type of very large ema evolved. Although these ema had the spiritual function of the small ema, they were also objects of display and advertisement. They were a kind of spiritual and social exchange that donors performed for both the gods and the viewing public.

Large ema, were generally commissioned by donors from professional artists, but small ema were painted by individual donors or by craftspeople who mass-produced ema for sale to shrine and temple visitors. Large scale ema, like their smaller version, were painted directly onto a wooden board. The larger ema were sometimes surrounded by a frame, or took the shape of the triangular horse stable-shaped roof of the small ema. Small ema were periodically burned but large ema were not removed from their display spaces.

The combination of increased size and more frequent donations of large ema spurred temples and shrines to create additional spaces for display called ema halls, or emado. These halls became an art gallery-like space within the religious complex where ema were on view to all visitors and ema became a publicly accessible art form. Notable ema and ema halls were even mentioned in travel books and other texts from the Edo era. Religious institutions did not actively curate their collection of ema and displays grew through unorganized additions initiated by the donor, leaving a permanent advertisement for the artist and the donor.

Large ema catch many of the defining characteristics of art in the Edo and Meiji period. They are religious objects as well as art objects. They provided donors, artists, and religious institutions with an opportunity to advertise devotion to God, miracles, and their own skills.