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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Civic Leader and Art Collector: Sallie Casey Thayer and an Art Museum for KU

In Esoteric Buddhist practice, a worshipper uses a mandala to visualize a spiritual realm. A mandala lays out a grouping of Buddhist deities to help its user envision complex ritual concepts. This Star Mandala centers on Nyōirin Kannon, an esoteric manifestation of the popular bodhisattva Kannon. In this context, the term bodhisattva describes an awakened divine being who chooses to postpone their own enlightenment in order to aid sentient beings in achieving Nirvana. Bodhisattvas are often associated with limitless compassion, and this is particularly true for Kannon, who appears in many forms to save suffering beings in all realms of existence. In this image, the bodhisattva holds a wish-granting jewel and a dharma wheel.
Many Western collectors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries sought out Japanese imagery for its perceived distinctness from European and American culture. This mandala may have appealed to Thayer for its detailed depiction of unfamiliar deities, as well as its distinct aesthetic.

Archive Label date unknown:
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.