龍王図|Dragon King

Unidentified

16th–17th century · Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk · Asian Art

A crowned figure wearing a Chinese robe and holding three wish-fulfilling jewels stands on a dark, curling cloud, which in turn rests on the surface of a wave-roiled sea. The deity can be associated with Nagaraja, mythological snake or dragon kings from India’s Vedic tradition that were brought from China to Japan along with other gods incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon. He likely represents Suiten, the Buddhist version of Varuna, a Hindu god of water, a bringer of rain, and ruler of the Naga deities. In Japan, Suiten was also associated with water and was thus seen as a guardian deity for fishing, seafaring, and even the so-called “water trade,” or business of the pleasure quarter.

Artist

Unidentified

Date

16th–17th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2019