四天王像の内 (Shitennō zō)|One of the Four Heavenly Kings

Unknown

12th century · Wood with traces of color · Asian Art

This pair of statues (with 1975.258.164), which flank the Cosmic Buddha Dainichi Nyorai, are from a set of four, each representing one of the cardinal directions. Originally Hindu demigods, the Four Heavenly Kings, or Shitennō, were absorbed into the Buddhist pantheon as protectors of Buddhist teachings, the temple, and the nation. In China, such statues were usually positioned near temple entrances, but in Japan they more often surrounded the central deity on the main altar. These ferocious figures nearly always wear armor, carry weapons or other attributes (now lost), and stand in dynamic poses rather than static postures of ease or meditation. Each carved from a single block of wood, their muscular forms retain the strength of early Heian-period style. Only the arms, now missing, were carved separately.

Artist

Unknown

Date

12th century

Medium

Wood with traces of color

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975