is a set of five paintings depicting traditional Asian deities banishing

evil Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is general ...

. The paintings are collectively listed as a national treasure of Japan and held at the Nara national museum.

Overview

The paintings are thought to have been created during the 12th century, during the reign of

Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His de jure reign spanned the years from 1155 through 1158, though arguably he effectively maintained imperial power for almost thirty-seven years through the ''i ...

in the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...

; they may have also been produced during the Kamakura period. The

calligrapher Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as " ...

is thought to be the same on the five scrolls as on the hell scroll and the demon of punishment, which were produced at roughly the same time. They are thought to have originally been a single handscroll, known as the "second edition of the Masuda family hell scroll", that was stored in the Rengeō-in Temple (now Sanjūsangen-dō). The paintings depict five benevolent deities in combat against evil, as represented by demons; the deities come from several cultures, including contemporary

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

, Chinese, and Indian. They are thought to be associated with the hell transformation screens then used in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

for repentance ceremonies at the end of each year, where the devout recited the names of the buddhas at

Heijō Palace was the imperial residence in the Japanese capital city Heijō-kyō (today's Nara), during most of the Nara period. The palace, which served as the imperial residence and the administrative centre of for most of the Nara period from 710 to 794 ...

. The paintings were designated National Treasures of Japan on 6 June 1985, with the accession number 1106. They are located at the Nara National Museum in

Nara Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the ...

Works

''Tenkeisei''

''Tenkeisei'' (''天刑星'', literally meaning "the star

hat metes out A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...

heavenly punishment"), or the god of heavenly punishment, is a deity from the Chinese tradition of ''yin'' and ''yang''. Originally a demon, he later took on a role in

Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...

prayers. In the painting he is depicted fighting and consuming ''Gozu tennō'', an ox-headed deity worshipped at the ''Gion'' shrine (present day ''Yasaka'') in '' ''Kyoto'' (''京都市'', ''Kyōto-shi'')''. The painting measures and has the accession number 1106-1.

''Sendan kendatsuba (Candana Gandharva)''

''Sendan kendatsuba'' (''栴檀乾闥婆'',

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...

name ''Candana Gandharva'') is one of the eight guardians of Buddhist law and one of the 33 manifestations of ''

Avalokiteśvara In Buddhism, Avalokiteśvara ( Sanskrit: अवलोकितेश्वर, IPA: ) is a bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. He has 108 avatars, one notable avatar being Padmapāṇi (lotus bearer). He is variably depicte ...

''. He is derived from an Indian

patron god A tutelary () (also tutelar) is a deity or a spirit who is a guardian, patron, or protector of a particular place, geographic feature, person, lineage, nation, culture, or occupation. The etymology of "tutelary" expresses the concept of safety a ...

of music and believed to protect young people from the fifteen malevolent deities. He is drawn similar to in the ''Dôji mandara''. The painting measures and has the accession number 1106-2.

''Shinchū''

The divine insect (''神虫'', ''Shinchū'') is a deity depicted as a silkworm moth. It was known for miracles. The painting measures and has the accession number 1106-3.

''Shōki''

''Shōki'' (''鍾馗'') is a deity told in Buddhist ''

setsuwa Setsuwa (, ja, 説話, setsu wa) is an East Asian literary genre. It consists of myths, legends, folktales, and anecdotes. ''Setsuwa'' means "spoken story". As one of the vaguest forms of literature, setsuwa is believed to have been passed dow ...

'' (oral tales) to have protected

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756 CE. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. In the ear ...

. In the painting, ''Shōki'' is portrayed with a thick beard and large eyes. Wearing a black hat, robe, and tall boots, it is depicted as stabbing a demon. The painting measures and has the accession number 1106-4.

''Bishamonten''

''Bishamonten'' (''毘沙門天'') is the Japanese name for ''

Vaiśravaṇa (Sanskrit: वैश्रवण) or (Pali; , , ja, 毘沙門天, Bishamonten, ko, 비사문천, Bisamuncheon, vi, Đa Văn Thiên Vương), is one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and is considered an important figure in Buddhism. Names The n ...

'', the chief of the

four heavenly kings The Four Heavenly Kings are four Buddhist gods, each of whom is believed to watch over one cardinal direction of the world. In Chinese mythology, they are known collectively as the "Fēng Tiáo Yǔ Shùn" () or "Sìdà Tiānwáng" (). In th ...

. In the image, he is depicted protecting followers of the

Lotus Sutra The ''Lotus Sūtra'' ( zh, 妙法蓮華經; sa, सद्धर्मपुण्डरीकसूत्रम्, translit=Saddharma Puṇḍarīka Sūtram, lit=Sūtra on the White Lotus of the True Dharma, italic=) is one of the most influ ...

from evil while carrying a bow. His equipment is similar to that found in Chinese paintings from the Tang and

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

dynasties. The painting measures and has the accession number 1106-5.

References

;Footnotes ;References * * * * * * * * Based on th
Google translation.
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External links

12th-century paintings Buddhist paintings Japanese paintings National Treasures of Japan Paintings in the collection of the Nara National Museum Paintings of deities