Cleveland Museum of Art

Heavenly King Virudhaka

Date: 1368–1644
Medium: hanging scroll; color on silk
Culture: China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Department: Chinese Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

Virudhaka, Lokapala or Heavenly King of the South, is one of four guardians placed at the entrance of Buddhist temple halls or hung on all four sides of an altar for protection against evil spirits. Having a blue face, Virudhaka wears armor and holds a sword. Demons flank the deity: one with open mouth and three eyes whirls a banner and holds a snake; the other has a dragon slung around his neck. The king's attribute is a sword carried in his right hand to protect the southern continent and the dharma, or Buddhist teaching.

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