Minneapolis Institute of Art

Gods of Wind and Rain [left of the pair Gods of Thunder, Wind, and Rain]

Mano Kyōtei

Date

early 20th century

Medium

Six-panel folding screen, one of a pair, ink and color on silver leafed paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The gods of wind and thunder stem from Hindu deities that were assimilated into the Buddhist pantheon and later merged with indigenous Shintō personifications of natural elements. In this pair of folding screens, the Thunder God, at right, is identified by his red skin and drums, which he beats to create thunderclaps. In the left screen, the Wind God appears as he typically does, as a horned, gargoyle-like creature with green skin and a cloth sack from which he unleashes blasts of wind. Here, however, Mano Kyōtei also equipped him with a pair of fans. Another departure from established iconography is the addition of the Rain God, who carries flasks of water and is crowned with a dragon, a mythical beast traditionally associated with rain in East Asia. This innovative interpretation established these screens as Kyōtei’s masterpiece. (2013.29.7.1-.2) Japan

The authoritative record is held by Minneapolis Institute of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.