毘沙門天像|The Guardian King Bishamonten

Unknown

12th century · Wood with color, gold leaf, and lacquer · Asian Art

Bishamonten (Sanskrit: Vaishravana), the Guardian King of the North, is one of the four protectors of the cardinal directions, who, together with eight other fearsome kings, comprise the Twelve Devas (Jūniten) of Esoteric Buddhism. Eight of them protect the eight directions, and the remaining four symbolize heaven, earth, the sun, and the moon. Bishamonten is considered the most powerful of the Guardian Kings, as his direction—North—is associated with danger.

Artist

Unknown

Date

12th century

Medium

Wood with color, gold leaf, and lacquer

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1959