不動明王像|Fudō Myōō (Achala Vidyaraja), The Immovable Wisdom King

Unidentified

mid-13th century · Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk · Asian Art

Fudō Myōō (Sanskrit: Acala Vidyaraja), The Immovable Wisdom King, surrounded by flames, stands on a rock and holds a sword and lasso. A wrathful avatar of Dainichi (Sanskrit: Vairocana), the Buddha of the Cosmos, Fudō vanquishes any evil that threatens to impede the Buddhist teachings. The anonymous artist illustrates the deity’s ferocity with wide and wild eyes, erect standing posture and towering size, and his flaming mandorla. He is flanked by his two attendants Seitaka and Kongara (Sanskrit: Cetaka and Kimkara), whose smaller size indicates their subsidiary role. The pale Seitaka gazes up at Fudō while the red skinned Kongara leans on a golden staff with his eyes cast down and a deep frown on his face. They wear matching attire of a reddish orange skirt with a green border and matching sash, all detailed in gold.

Artist

Unidentified

Date

mid-13th 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, 2021