Kozanji Temple: Avatamsaka Assembly

JAPAN, Kyoto; Kamakura period

This 13th century painting depicts Vairocana Buddha teaching the Dharma. In 1938, it was listed as an Important Cultural Property. On the top of the painting, there is a large title inscription which says “Avatamsaka Assembly.” Below the inscription, Vairocana Buddha sits in full lotus position on a lotus throne. There are billowing clouds behind his nimbus and aureole. Standing beside Vairocana are Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Vaisravana Heavenly King of the North, and the King of the Yaksas. Beside and below this group of figures, there are 61 small deities within faintly outlined rectangular boxes. Each deity is named by an inscription within a cartouche. The artist might have been inspired by the monk Myoe, who promoted the Avatamsaka Sutra during the early Kamakura period (1185–1333).