The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of February 7, 2023

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

mid-1800s

Japan, Edo period

(1615-1868)

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk

John L. Severance Fund 1976.72

Location

not on view

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.

Citations
Koyama-Richard, Brigitte. Animaux Dans La Peinture Japonaise. Lyon: Nouvelles éditions Scala, 2020. Mentioned and reproduced: P. 168
Exhibition history

CMA 1977: "Year in Review 1976," CMA Bulletin LXIV (February, 1977), cat. no. 152, p. 79, reproduced p. 67.

Year in Review, 1976. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (February 1-March 6, 1977).

Japanese Gallery 235 Rotation - January-July 2017. The Cleveland Museum of Art (January 9-July 10, 2017).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1976.72