Important Cultural Property
Hachiji-Monju (Asta-Sikha Manjusri, Eight letter Manjusri) and Eight Attendants
Data
| Period | Kamakura period, 13th century |
|---|---|
| Materials and techniques | Hanging scroll, colour on silk |
| Size | 107.2×85.9 |
Explanation
Hachiji-Monju is the main Buddha of the Hachiji-Monju Mandala which is used in Esoteric Buddhist rituals for exorcism and for averting calamities. Paintings show his hair bundled into eight topknots and often riding a lion, but here he is shown seated on a lotus pedestal, which is rare. Other specific features of this picture are: two additional figures in the upper corners (one holding a golden wheel in a red circle to the right and a feminine deity in a white circle to the left) and the landscape image thought to be the five sacred mountains of Monju religion seen at the lower part of the lotus pedestal.