Okamoto Tori

The kofun tomb of Emperor Sûjin, as depicted in an 1867 handscroll by Okamoto.

• Born: 1806
• Died: 1885
• Other Names: 武陵斎 (Muryousai)
• Japanese: 岡本桃里 (Okamoto Touri)

Okamoto Tôri was a prominent Nihonga painter of the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods.

A member of the Shijô school, he is known for his delicate brushstrokes, and images of famous sites around Yamato province (Nara prefecture). Among his most famous works are a series of handscrolls depicting kofun and other Imperial tombs in that province. They may have been produced in conjunction with official government programs in the 1860s to survey and restore some 120 Imperial tomb sites.

An adherent of sonnô ideology, in his last years he worked to see Kashihara Shrine constructed on the supposed site of Emperor Jimmu's palace. Okamoto died on 1885/12/21. The shrine was completed five years later.

References

• "Okamoto Tôri," Nihon jinmei daijiten, Kodansha 2009.