Brahma Assembly

CHINA; Ming dynasty

This artwork is one of the two remaining murals from the old residence of the Mu clan in Lijiang, China. Although the building was destroyed, this picture and another mural depicting the Sakra Assembly were preserved and are kept in the Yunnan Provincial Museum.
In Buddhist cosmology, Brahma is said to reside in the third heaven of the form realm. Whenever a Buddha appears in this world to give teachings, Brahma arrives first to turn the wheel of the Dharma. In this mural, Brahma appears as a woman in the upper register, flanked by heavenly beings. In the lower register, eight male heavenly beings are shown holding various objects. The background is decorated with clouds and lotuses.