Kongobuji Temple: Dragon King
Ink and color on silk
Kongobuji Temple: Dragon King
JAPAN, Wakayama, Ito; Heian period
This image depicts the Dragon King who, according to legend, appeared before Master Kukai during a rain-bringing ritual on Mount Atago in 824. According to the Continuation of the Abbreviated Catalog of Treasures, kept at Kongobuji Temple in Wakayama, the painting was given as an offering during a ceremony in 1145. In 1953, it was listed as a National Treasure.
The Dragon King, standing upon delicately painted clouds, is dressed in the style of a Chinese emperor, wearing a tall headdress and a flowing robe. He holds three pearls on a round plate, and looks off to one side. A small green tail can be seen sticking up from under the bottom of the robe. The colors of the image have faded but the black lines depicting the folds of the robe are still clear.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting I-O, page 448.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youlu and Wilson, Graham and Manho and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting I-O},
pages = 448,
title = {{Kongobuji Temple: Dragon King}},
volume = 15,
year = {2016}}