Bukjijangsa Temple: Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of Hell

SOUTH KOREA, Daegu; Joseon dynasty

The central figure in this painting, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, wears a patterned monastic robe and holds a staff in the left hand. Ksitigarbha has a green nimbus and a white aureole, and sits on a lotus throne surrounded by five rows of figures. The two figures with nimbuses below the throne are the monk Daoming and a ghost king. Standing beside these two figures are the Ten Kings of Hell, joining their palms or holding imperial court batons. The two figures directly beside Ksitigarbha are King Yama and King Biancheng, who preside over the fifth and sixth hells respectively. Judges wearing black hats and holding paper and brushes stand on the far left and right in the middle register. The row above the judges depicts Brahma, Sakra, the Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors, and guardians of hell. Bodhisattvas wearing ornate headdresses are painted in the top row.