Minneapolis Institute of Art

Bishamonten, the Guardian of the North

Circle of Higo Busshi Jōkei

Date

late 13th century

Medium

Japanese cypress wood with polychrome, cut gold-leaf, and inlaid crystal, metal

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In Hindu mythology, each of the four directions is protected by a specific god. These four gods were incorporated into Buddhism as guardian kings at an early period and came to be known in Sanskrit as Lokapalas, or Shiten’nō in Japanese. This sculpture of a warrior represents Bishamonten, the Guardian of the North. The north was believed to be the most dangerous of the cardinal directions and so its protector, Bishamonten, is the strongest of the four guardian kings. Here, wearing heavy armor and carrying a lance and miniature stupa, Bishamonten stands atop two demons, representing threats from the North that he has overpowered. Asia

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