Shakyamuni Subjugating Demons

Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎 Japanese

Not on view

This scene depicts an episode from the life of the historical Buddha, as he is under attack from the demon king Mara, who seeks to interrupt his pursuit of truth. The Buddha withstood the attack and thus gained enlightenment. Some elements, such as the flaming dragon, the cave setting, and the Buddha’s gesture, represent shifts from conventional depictions of this scene.

Shakyamuni Subjugating Demons, Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎 (Japanese, 1831–1889), Album leaf mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan

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