荼枳尼天像|Dakini

Unknown

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

Dressed in Chinese courtly attire, Dakini sits astride a fox on a cloud held aloft by dragons and grasps a vajra sword and sacred jewels. An ancient Hindu deity, Dakini was originally a man-eating demoness transformed by the Buddha Mahavairocana (Dainichi Nyorai) into a life-engendering divinity. She embodies powers of fertility that were invoked for imperial enthronement rituals in the Kyoto court, which led to her assimilation with the ancient Shinto fox deity, Inari.

Artist

Unknown

Date

14th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on hemp

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, in honor of Wen C. Fong, 2000