Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
Ink and color on silk
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva
JAPAN; Kamakura period
Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva is highly venerated in Japan. The Bodhisattva is said to have made a vow to deliver all of the beings in the hell realms from suffering, and is known as the guardian of children and travelers. This image was painted in the 13th century, when images of Ksitigarbha were popular.
Ksitigarbha appears as a monk, holding a wish-fulfilling jewel in the left hand and a monk’s staff in the right. The Bodhisattva is dressed in a monastic robe decorated with gold patterns, and sits with the right leg bent and the left foot placed on a lotus pedestal. Thin gold lines are used to depict the nimbus and mandorla. The detailed, elegant figure of the Bodhisattva is painted against a dark background.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting I-O, page 455.
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 = 455,
title = {{Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva}},
volume = 15,
year = {2016}}