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

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.

Provenance

(Bunzo Nakanishi, Kyoto, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (?–1976); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1976–)

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

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mid-1800s

Accession Number

1976.72

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk

Dimensions

Overall: 250 x 143 cm (98 7/16 x 56 5/16 in.)

Classification

Painting

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund