Sanjusangendo Temple: Wind and Thunder Deities

JAPAN, Kyoto; Kamakura period

These sculptures appear among the Twenty-Eight Classes of Dharma Protectors that accompany the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva within the same hall. They are based on the “Deities of Wind, Fire, Thunder and Lightning” section of the text Rules for Creating a Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva. Thought to be made by the Tankei workshop, they are the earliest surviving images of these figures in the country, and show characteristics from the golden age of the Kamakura period (1185–1333). They were listed as National Treasures in 1995.
The head and body of the two deities are assembled from pieces of wood, then painted, and the eyes inlaid with semi-precious stones. Both figures wear capes around the neck and a skirt below the waist. They are depicted facing each other, riding on clouds with wrathful expressions and forceful gestures. Raijin, the Thunder Deity, is painted reddish-orange, with flaming hair that stands on end and a roaring mouth. He is surrounded by Taiko drums and carries drumsticks to create the thunder’s rumbling. Fujin, the snouted Wind Deity, is bluish-green, with tousled hair and bared teeth. He holds shut the bag of wind over his shoulders as he peers down at the earth. The muscles on his sturdy chest and straining legs ripple with the effort.