Back to Collection

Collection Item Image/s

Many Shinto shrines in Japan use elements of white sand in their gardens, which is intended to purify the grounds and make them hospitable to the kami, or spirits. The Kamigamo shrine, an important shrine on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. This shrine is dedicated to the kami of thunder, and includes two mounds of white sand in the form of cones, known as Tatesuna and Saiden, whose arrangement signifies the kami descending to the ground in the form of thunder.

Sand Sculptures at Shinto Shrines

Rob Andrade

Sand Sculptures at Shinto Shrines, 2017

Concrete

Cabinet of Curiosities, Ruane Center for the Humanities, Second Floor

About the Work

Many Shinto shrines in Japan use elements of white sand in their gardens, which is intended to purify the grounds and make them hospitable to the kami, or spirits. The Kamigamo shrine, an important shrine on the banks of the Kamo River in north Kyoto, is one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. This shrine is dedicated to the kami of thunder, and includes two mounds of white sand in the form of cones, known as Tatesuna and Saiden, whose arrangement signifies the kami descending to the ground in the form of thunder.