Nyōirin Kannon Star Mandala

Nyōirin Kannon Star Mandala , late 1700s, Edo period (1600–1868)

Where object was made: Japan

Material/technique: oil cloth; paper; tempera

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 165.4 x 141.4 cm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 65 1/8 x 55 11/16 in

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 0000.1278

Not on display

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This Buddhist painting, called a mandala, presents a diagram of the Buddhist universe, its deities, and their relationships to one another. This kind of diagram was used by Esoteric sects of Buddhism, whose followers were better able to comprehend the sect's complex concepts if they were illustrated. Mandalas were also used in special rituals and as aids to meditation.

Kannon, the most widely worshipped bodhisattva (similar to Western saints), can appear in many forms. The central deity in this mandala is Nyoirin Kannon. Holding the Jewel of Enlightenment in one hand and the Wheel of the Buddhist Law in the other, this diety is believed to respond quickly to the prayers of the devout and thus is widely worshipped.