Tejaprabha Buddha Assembly

KOREA; Joseon dynasty

Inscriptions in the upper corners of this painting identify the two central figures as Tejaprabha Buddha and North Dipper Deity. In the upper register, Tejaprabha sits on a lotus throne and likely forms the bodhyangi (wisdom fist) mudra. The Buddha is flanked by Suryaprabha and Candraprabha Bodhisattvas, who wear headdresses topped with a red and a white jewel respectively. The North Dipper Deity is portrayed as an elderly man. He sits on a throne with joined palms and is accompanied by two male figures representing the sun and the moon.
On both sides of the picture, 70 figures representing the personified depictions of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, Nine Luminaries, Twelve Earthly Branches, and the various heavenly beings stand in orderly rows, dressed in colorful robes and holding imperial court batons with both hands. The large number of figures lends a sense of grandeur to the painting.