Anchira-taisho Jochi
Not on view
The subject of this iconographic drawing, which originally belonged to Kōzanji, a temple in the mountains northwest of Kyoto, is generally identified as General Anchira (Andira in Sanskrit), one of the twelve guardian generals who dedicated themselves to the Yakushi (Bhaishajyaguru) Buddha. The twelve generals are usually crowned with the twelve animals of the zodiac; here, Anchira has a rabbit on his head.
The drawing was executed with exceptional care. According to a document accompanying the scroll, it was copied by Jōchi from a Chinese model in 1164. Inscriptions in the painting indicate specific colors iconographically associated with this deity.
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