Important Cultural Property
Buddhist Divinities
Data
| Artist | Selected by Shinkaku |
|---|---|
| Period | Heian period, 12th century |
| Materials and techniques | Two handscrolls, ink on paper |
| Size | Scroll 1: 32.0×1122.0, Scroll 2: 32.0×569.0 |
Explanation
As the rituals of esoteric Buddhism became diversified and worship for specific divinities became prevalent, iconograph of Buddhist divinities also became diverse. During the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period, there was a movement to streamline and compile these varieties of iconography. This two-volume collection of iconographic drawings of divinities is an anthology resulting from such a movement. Shinkaku who wrote the introduction was a famous researcher on paintings of Buddhist divinities as well as the editor of “Besson zakki”, the famous iconographic collection of the time. Formerly owned by Tōji temple, Kyoto.