Hell Scroll

The Hell Scroll is a captivating piece of art that illustrates seven of the sixteen lesser hells described in the Kisekyō. Each section of the scroll features detailed paintings accompanied by text that explains the sins committed by the condemned in each hell. The specific hells depicted in the scroll include:

1. Hell of Excrement

2. Hell of Measures

3. Hell of the Iron Mortar

4. Hell of the Flaming Rooster

5. Hell of the Black Sand Cloud

6. Hell of Pus and Blood

7. Hell of Foxes and Wolves

There is speculation that this scroll might be connected to the Paintings of the Six Paths, a series of artworks commissioned by Emperor Goshirakawa in the 12th century. Originally, the Hell Scroll was kept at Daishō-in in Higashiokubo, Tokyo. During the Meiji period, it came into the possession of the Hara family in Kanagawa before eventually being acquired by the Japanese government.

This scroll not only offers a glimpse into historical beliefs about sin and punishment but also serves as a stunning example of traditional Japanese art and storytelling.