Fumie

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Picture of Christ used to reveal practicing Catholics and sympathizers

Picture of the Virgin Mary used to reveal practicing Catholics and sympathizers

A fumie (踏み絵) was a likeness of Jesus or Mary upon which the religious authorities of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan required suspected Christians to step in order to prove that they were not members of that outlawed religion. The use of the fumie began with the persecution of Christians in Nagasaki in 1629. Its use was officially abandoned for ports open to foreigners in April 13, 1856, but some remained in use until Christian teaching was placed under formal protection during the Meiji period.

It was usually carved out of stone, but others were painted and some were wooden block prints. Many, if not all, these works were made with care, and they reflected the high artistic standards of the Edo period. There are very few existing fumie, as most were simply thrown away or recycled into other uses.

Many theologians have tried to contemplate the role of the fumie to Japanese Christians, some seeing the treading of the fumie as a sign of the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.