Minneapolis Institute of Art
Deer Mandala of the Kasuga Shrine
JapanLinkedCulture matchlcp-9cfc54f21d2c
- Date
- first half 15th century
- Medium
- Hanging scroll, ink, color, and gold on paper
- Department
- Asian Art
- Institution
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
- Object ID
- 6612
From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record
Five Shinto deities appear in a golden orb supported by a branch of wisteria all atop a white stag wearing a sumptuous lacquered saddle. The deer has ridden in from the heavens, indicated by the pink cloud upon which he stands. The deities within the orb represent the five deities of Kasuga Shrine, located in the ancient capital of Nara. They are also the tutelary deities of the once powerful Fujiwara family, whose name means “field of wisteria.” To this day, deer, which are considered sacred, roam the mountains of Kasuga and the old capital Nara, as they have since ancient times. Japan, Asia
The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.
Get printable QR codesHide QR codes
Open QR codes for this object page and the museum record. They stay collapsed until needed.
Provenance & credit
As published by the source institution. Coverage varies — not every institution's open-data feed includes ownership history.
- Credit line
- Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation
Related across collections
Semantically similar works from Minneapolis Institute of Art and other institutions.