View of Mt. Horai 1800 - 1868

Kano Tansui painted this "View of Mt. Horai" with ink and color on silk. Immediately we are confronted by the archetypal mountain, a beacon piercing through mist and legend. The mountain, or cosmic axis, resonates deeply within the human psyche, a symbol of aspiration and transcendence. We see it echoed across cultures, from the ziggurats of ancient Mesopotamia to the temples atop Greek hills. Here, the mountain is Horai, a mythical island of immortals, embodying the yearning for permanence and purity that haunts our collective unconscious. Note the path winding towards the peak. It mirrors the arduous journey of life, the striving to overcome earthly bounds. This motif re-emerges time and again, a visual metaphor for spiritual ascent, each culture imbuing it with its unique hopes and fears. The mountain, therefore, is not merely a geographical feature but a mirror reflecting humanity's eternal quest for meaning, an image deeply embedded in our cultural memory.