Minneapolis Institute of Art

Dakiniten, the Buddhist Manifestation of the Shinto Deity Inari

Japan

Date

late 14th century

Medium

Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Buddhism officially entered Japan in the mid-500s, and by the 800s, Japanese Buddhists had developed a theory that kami, native gods, were incarnations of Buddhist deities. The figure of Dakiniten in this scroll exemplifies Buddhism’s ready assimilation of native gods. In Hinduism, a ḍākinī is a female spirit or deity who eats the flesh and heart of humans nearing death. In Japan, the deity entered the Buddhist canon as a converted Hindu goddess, Dakiniten. Dakiniten was further conflated with the Shinto kami (deity) Inari, who was associated with abundance, especially of rice. Here, she is shown riding a white fox, another representation of Inari. The fox’s legs are wrapped in snakes, a reference to another converted Hindu goddess, Benzaiten. Asia

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