Minneapolis Institute of Art
Bishamonten, the Guardian of the North
Circle of Higo Busshi JōkeiLinkedCulture matchlcp-e2a763d5cb96
- 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
- Object ID
- 122377
From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record
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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Provenance & credit
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- Credit line
- Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation
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