Ōtsu-e of Thirteen Buddhist Deities

17th century

Not on view

The image of Thirteen Buddhist Deities was hung for memorials for the deceased held at fixed intervals over the days and years after death. Originally, a series of paintings depicting the deities individually was used, but this image combines them into one icon that could be employed repeatedly by less affluent families. The deities’ halos and mandorlas are woodblock printed with the same block, while a limited number of different blocks were used to give a measure of variety to the faces. The same block, for example, used for the head of the bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Kshitigarbha) was used for that of the King of Brightness, Fudō (Sanskrit: Achala) such that the latter loses his typically fierce countenance.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

十三仏図大津絵
Title: Ōtsu-e of Thirteen Buddhist Deities
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 17th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink, color, and woodblock print on paper
Dimensions: Image: 13 1/4 x 6 7/8 in. (33.7 x 17.5 cm)
Overall: 22 1/2 x 10 7/8 in. (57.2 x 27.6 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975
Object Number: 1975.268.143
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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