Artwork Page for Wisdom King of Great Awe-inspiring Power (Daiitoku Myōō)

Details / Information for Wisdom King of Great Awe-inspiring Power (Daiitoku Myōō)

Wisdom King of Great Awe-inspiring Power (Daiitoku Myōō)

mid-1800s

Japan, Edo period

(1615–1868)
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Measurements
Overall: 250 x 143 cm (98 7/16 x 56 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1976.72
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

In Esoteric Buddhism, there is one Buddha at the center of the universe, and four additional Buddhas, each of whom occupies one of the four cardinal directions. These Buddhas also manifest themselves in fierce forms called Kings of Brightness (myōō), or Wisdom Kings. Daiitoku is an avatar of the Buddha Amida and manages the west.
A hanging scroll depicts Daiitoku, a deity with dark blue skin, three faces, and six arms and legs, riding a green creature down undulating blue-and-gray waves from the left, red flames trailing. Gray hair rises above Daiitoku's faces, with three smaller faces in it and a halo behind. Daiitoku aims weapons, including a spear and bow and arrow, with right legs lifted and left legs pressed into the creature, which has a snout, arching horns, and hooves.

Wisdom King of Great Awe-inspiring Power (Daiitoku Myōō)

mid-1800s

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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