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Diamond World Mandala (Kongokai Mandara)

Muromachi period (1392–1573)

Not on view

Painted Japanese Esoteric Buddhist Mandalas of Both Worlds are generally divided into three types based on how their main deities are presented. Many show the Buddha Dainichi Nyorai (Sanskrit: Mahavairochana Buddha) and his multiple emanations in figural form. In other Mandalas of Both Worlds, the deities are represented by their attributes (sanmai yagyō), typically ritual implements such as vajras or katsumas. This mandala is from a pair in which the deities are represented as the Sanskrit seed syllables (shuji) with which they are associated.

Diamond World Mandala (Kongokai Mandara), One of a pair of hanging scrolls; gold on indigo-dyed paper, Japan — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Title: Diamond World Mandala (Kongokai Mandara)

Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)

Culture: Japan

Medium: One of a pair of hanging scrolls; gold on indigo-dyed paper

Dimensions: Overall with mounting: 48 x 27 1/4 in. (121.9 x 69.2 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Lent by Sylvan Barnet and William Burto Collection

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Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.