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These photos came to me from a friend, and they are just as perplexing to me as they were to him. My questions: Are they paintings or prints and How the inscriptions read in Japanese. If the stamps aren't readable from the photos here, I'll post blow-ups later. Naturally, I hope I,Nagy weighs in though all comments are welcome.

I'd tried to post this query last week but it never came through. If this was by chance due to objection of our monitors, I'd appreciate a private note regarding their reason.

Thanks and best regards,

Bill H.

Here's a blowup of the larger red seals. Meanwhile I've done a tentative machine translation of the far left-hand column in the six-column inscription, which appears to read down as "On an auspicious day in the 12th year in the reign of the Heisei Emperor" or the year 2000.The Heisei emperor was Akihito, who replaced his late father Hirohito in 1989.

Hopefully, others can make sense of the phonetics.

Thanks and best regards,

Bill H.

They are souvenir prints from the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto.
Calligraphy reads,
念彼觀音力　-　Nenpi kannonriki　-　Have in mind the power of Kannon
Signature,
清水寺貫主　清範　- Kiyomizu -dera Kanshu Seihan
- Kiyomizu Temple, Chief Abbot, Seihan*
Upper seal,
清水寺貫主印　-　Seal of the Chief Abbot of Kiyomizu Temple
Lower sea　l,
清範　-　Seihan

* Mori Seihan 森清範　１９４０－
Chief abbot of Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto

The explanation on the right side says;

The principal image of Kiyomizu Temple, the Eleven-faced, Thousand-handed Kannon statue is a secret Buddha, and it is said that Kannon Boddhisattva transforms into thirty-three bodies according to the living beings and save them.....
.....
On an Auspicious Day of the 12th Year of Heisei Era (2000)

With regards,
I.Nagy

Dear I.Nagy, today is election day in the USA and I'm again casting my top choice vote for you. :)

Thanks a million,

Bill H.

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