 |
Vaisravana
|
| |
|
Vaisravana
CHINA; Tang dynasty to Five Dynasties (618–960); Ink and color on paper; 80 x 64 cm; Museum Yamato Bunkakan, Nara, Japan
Vaisravana, Heavenly King of the North, has been a popularly venerated Dharma protector in China since the Tang dynasty. The Heavenly King wears a golden crown decorated with a scroll leaf pattern and has a green nimbus with red, black, and gold outer rings. Appearing stern and imposing, he sits in lotus position and looks up to one side. The king's skin is painted with a wash of red. His left hand supports a gold stupa and he holds a rod in his right hand. Vaisravana is dressed in a suit of armor with a decorative beast's head in front of the stomach. Spiraling green, red, and blue clouds fill the background. |
