Dakini

Japan

Not on view

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.

Dakini, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on hemp, Japan

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Dakini, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on hemp, Japan
Dakini, Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on hemp, Japan

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