春日宮曼荼羅 (Kasuga miya mandara)|Mandala of Kasuga Shrine

Unknown

early 14th century · Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk · Asian Art

Combining the conceptual framework of the Buddhist mandala with elements of traditional Japanese painting, artists produced representations of shrine precincts in this unique genre of painting known as “shrine mandala” (miya mandara). This example of a Kasuga Shrine mandala depicts the sprawling complex at the foot of Mount Mikasa from a bird’s-eye perspective, inviting the viewer to embark on a virtual pilgrimage to the site and thereby gain the favor of Kasuga’s deities. The Buddhist avatars of the five Kasuga deities appear at the top of the scroll. From right to left they are: Eleven-headed Kannon (Jūichimen Kannon), Kannon of the Unfailing Noose (Fukūkensaku Kannon), the Medicine Buddha (Yakushi), the bodhisattva Jizō, and another Eleven-headed Kannon.

Artist

Unknown

Date

early 14th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015