Iconographic Drawings of the Five Kings of Wisdom (Myōō-bu shoson)

12th century

Not on view

The Five Great Kings of Wisdom (Godai Myōō) are ferocious-looking deities who ward off evil in order to protect the Buddha’s law. The opening section of this scroll shows various depictions of Fudō Myōō, the Immovable King of Wisdom. The surrounding mandorla of flames represents the extinguishing of human passions. Accompanying the illustrations are schematic drawings of the deity’s attributes: a vajra “thunderbolt” sword (a symbol for cutting through ignorance), an eight-spoked dharmachakra disk, and a two-pronged vajra with rope.

The Zuzō shō (or Jikkanshō) is an encyclopedia of Esoteric Buddhist iconography in ten scrolls, with detailed descriptions of the attributes of the various Myōō. This scroll is stylistically close to the oldest surviving version of the Zuzō shō, housed at Daigoji Temple in Kyoto from approximately 1193.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

『図像抄』〈十巻抄〉明王部諸尊
Title: Iconographic Drawings of the Five Kings of Wisdom (Myōō-bu shoson)
Period: Heian period (794–1185)
Date: 12th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Handscroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: 13 1/4 in. x 42 ft. 2 3/16 in. (33.7 x 1285.7 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: 1975.268.6
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Memyō Bosatsu (Ashvaghosha Bodhisattva) Mounted on a Horse, Unidentified Artist, Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on paper, Japan — Memyō Bosatsu (Ashvaghosha Bodhisattva) Mounted on a Horse
Unidentified
15th–16th century

Iconographic Drawing of the Bodhisattva Memyō (Ashvaghosha), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan — Iconographic Drawing of the Bodhisattva Memyō (Ashvaghosha)
Japan
12th century

Ten Verses on Oxherding, Handscroll; ink and color on paper, Japan — Ten Verses on Oxherding
Japan
1278

Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Tenjin Shrine (Kitano Tenjin engi emaki), Set of five handscrolls; ink, color, and cut gold leaf (kirikane) on paper, Japan — Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Tenjin Shrine (Kitano Tenjin engi emaki)
Japan
late 13th century

Three Poems from the Later Collection of Japanese Poems (Gosen wakashū), Monk Saigyō Japanese, Page from a booklet, mounted as hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan — Three Poems from the Later Collection of Japanese Poems (Gosen wakashū)
Monk Saigyō
late 12th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.