Depiction of the Buddha's Nirvāņa

Butsujō Jisen (1798-1870) was a Zen monk of the Sōtō sect during the late Edo period and early Meiji era. He was also known as Ryūkadōjin. In Tenpō 6 (1835), he became a resident priest at Chōtokuji Temple in Nagato Province, and in Kaei 1 (1848), he moved to Jiunji Temple and Eisenji Temple in Iwami Province. On the occasion of the 600th anniversary of Dōgen's death, he was responsible for teaching trainee monks and promoting the Buddhist memorial service. In Keiō 3 (1867), he served as the resident priest of Sagami Saijōji Temple.

This is a Nirvana painting depicting the mausoleum of Śākyamuni Buddha. Butsujō excelled in both Taoist and Buddhist painting, with works ranging from light, caricatural styles to more detailed ones. This is a rare example of a large, colorful painting by a Zen monk from the late Edo period. It is signed "Butsujō" in the upper left corner of the painting and is dated Ansei 5 (1858). From the inscription on the box, it is known that this Nirvana painting came from Kakugenan in Hazumi Hongo, Iwami Province (Gōtsu City, Shimane Prefecture). This is attributed to Butsujō's significant presence in the temples of the Iwami region.