Illustrated History of the YÅ«zÅ« nenbutsu Sect (YÅ«zÅ« nenbutsu engi), Vol. II c. 1471

Editor: This is Volume II of the Illustrated History of the YÅ«zÅ« nenbutsu Sect by Monk Musashi Hōgen, a very long scroll. I'm struck by how the architecture interacts with the natural landscape. What are your thoughts on this work? Curator: The scroll format itself is crucial. It dictates a temporal unfolding, a procession not just of images, but of the labor involved in its creation and its viewing. Consider the materiality of the paper, the pigments—where did they come from? How does that inform the narrative being presented? Editor: That's a very different way of looking at it than I was expecting. Curator: It challenges the idea of a singular artistic genius, focusing instead on the collective effort and resources that enable such a piece. What did you learn? Editor: Thinking about the materials definitely changes how I see it.