Buddhist Figures and Art

A collection of traditional Asian artworks depicting Buddhist figures and monks in various styles and historical periods, showcasing intricate line work and serene expressions.

In the Buddhist monk; XIX-20th century (1801-00-00-1920-00-00);

The actor Arashi Sangoro in the role of a wandering monk Utagawa, toyokuni (1769 1825)

White-Robed Guanyin, late 1200s-early 1300s. Jueji Yongzhong (Chinese, active around 1300), inscribed by Zhongfeng Mingben (Chinese, 1263-1323). Hanging scroll; ink on paper; painting: 78.7 x 31.7 cm (31 x 12 1/2 in.); overall with knobs: 164 x 38 cm (64 9/16 x 14 15/16 in.). Guanyin, the bodhisattva of infinite compassion (Avalokiteshvara, in Sanskrit), reveals himself in many forms. According to Buddhist belief, one such manifestation is the white-robed Guanyin sitting on a rock on the island of Putuo (Potalaka, in Sanskrit), located along the coast not far from Ningbo, in Zhejiang Province, China.Here, the figure was swiftly drawn in only a few ink lines. The inscription above is by Zhongfeng Mingben, perhaps the most widely respected and influential Chan (Zen in Japanese) master in the Yuan dynasty. The artists signature is a single line below on the left: Huanzhu Yongzhong.

In the Buddhist monk; XIX-20th century (1801-00-00-1920-00-00);

Locating the 'Four Flower Points' for women with bound feet

Iconographic Drawing of Saturn Japan 12th century Rituals dedicated to the stars and planets were introduced to Japan from China in the ninth century together with Esoteric Buddhist teachings. Doyō (Sanskrit: Shanaishchara), or the planet Saturn, is one of the Nine Luminaries (Sanskrit: Navagraha) of the stellar system as originally defined in early Indian texts that were later incorporated into Buddhism. In China, Buddhist understandings of the heavens were intertwined with Daoist beliefs. Here, the planet is illustrated as an old man with a bulls head atop his own, dressed in a flowing robe. Now mounted as a hanging scroll, the iconographic drawing once formed part of a handscroll including representations of other celestial bodies.

A Waitress of the Sakai-ya Teahouse Standing and Looking ca. 1770 Ippitsusai Bunchō Japanese. A Waitress of the Sakai-ya Teahouse Standing and Looking 36712

Suwu de Shepherd. The Chinese Hoveling Suwu, abducted to the high north, as a shepherd sitting on a rock with a ram next to itself; Above left a flying bird with a letter written by Suwu to the leg in which he lets the emperor knowing to be alive. Leaf from a Japanese book.

Scroll of Mudras 11th-12th century Japanf This handscroll depicts hand gestures known as mudras in Sanskrit, the Indian language in which many early Esoteric Buddhist texts were written. In Japan the gestures are called ins, the Japanese term for a Chinese word that combines the characters for "seal" and "form."In Esoteric Buddhism mudras are physical enactments of ultimate truths revealed through the Buddhas and other deities. Practitioners of Esoteric Buddhism in Japan form mudras during meditation and rituals and use them to interpret the meaning of painted and sculpted Buddhist images. These scrolls were passed down in the Kyoto temple Shren-in, a Tendai School temple traditionally administrated by imperial princes who had taken religious vows.. Scroll of Mudras. Japanf. 11th-12th century. Handscroll; ink on paper. Heian period (794-1185). Paintings

Scroll 9 of Collected Iconography (Zuzosho): Ten (Devas). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 in. x 53 ft. 3 1/8 in. (30.5 x 1623.3 cm). Date: 13th century.Sketchlike drawings of Buddhist deities in ink and/or light colors played a vital role in transmitting the complex iconography of the multitude of deities who make up the Mikkyo (Esoteric) pantheon. As it is identified on the outside of the scroll, this work contains images of the deva kings (ten in Japanese). Also inscribed on the outside is the scroll's provenance--Kanchi-in, a subtemple of Toji in Kyoto, an especially rich depository of Esoteric Buddhist images. Included in the scroll are images and descriptions of twenty-four deities, including Shitenno, the guardians of the four cardinal directions, and Juniten, the Twelve Deva Kings. The deities are identified in the texts preceding their images, which give their names in Chinese characters, their Sanskrit names, seed letters symbolizing their particular virtues, and their special

Buddha; beginning of the 20th century (1901-00-00-1932-00-00);Jabłońska, Antonina (1901-1994), Jabłoński, Witold (1901-1957), Jabłoński, Witold (1901-1957)-collection, Buddha (iconogr.), Chinese (culture), Dar (provenance), Chinese art

Anonymous. "Saint Basile Martyr (Wassili)". Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris, Petit Palais. 112280-19 Chretian art, Christianity, Preparatory drawing, religious history, Christian iconography, religious iconography, icon, Christian religion, Orthodox religion, saint

Scroll of Mudras. Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 11 3/16 x 97 1/2 in. (28.4 x 247.6 cm). Date: 11th-12th century.This handscroll depicts hand gestures known as mudras in Sanskrit, the Indian language in which many early Esoteric Buddhist texts were written. In Japan the gestures are called inso, the Japanese term for a Chinese word that combines the characters for "seal" and "form."In Esoteric Buddhism mudras are physical enactments of ultimate truths revealed through the Buddhas and other deities. Practitioners of Esoteric Buddhism in Japan form mudras during meditation and rituals and use them to interpret the meaning of painted and sculpted Buddhist images. These scrolls were passed down in the Kyoto temple Shoren-in, a Tendai School temple traditionally administrated by imperial princes who had taken religious vows. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Kongōyasha Myōō 12th century Japan Kongōyasha Myōō is one of the Five Great Guardian Kings in Esoteric Buddhism. His ferocious aspect is a manifestation of the wrath of the Five Wisdom Buddhas against evil. Kongōyasha Myōō is presented with three faces, five eyes, and six arms, with each hand holding one of his attributes: a wheel, an arrow, a bow, a sword, a tri-pronged vajra, and a vajra bell. Introduced from China by Kobo Daishi (774-836), a founder of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism, the Five Great Guardian Kings became an important ritual icon, called upon as protectors of the nation during the Ninnōkyō ceremony (Sutra of the Benevolent Kings), which was performed on special occasions. Kongōyasha Myōō 45620

. In this scroll painting, Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, descends from Paradise to receive the soul of a Buddhistwho has passed away. His clothes are richly decorated in gold patterns. Kannon appears in many different forms. Thiseleven-headed form represents the ten stages of the bodhisattvas development, culminating in the total enlightenmentof the Buddha - portrayed here as the topmost head.

White-Robed Kannon 15th century Japan The painted dragon and tiger, animals symbolic of yin and yang in Chinese iconography, form a triptych with a serene figure of the Buddhist deity Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara) in a white robe. Monochrome ink paintings of Kannon were important in the religious life of the earliest Zen temples of Muromachi Japan. The bodhisattva, embodying the concept of merciful compassion, is represented here in a casual pose and natural setting that emphasize his humanity rather than his role as deified intercessor for a faithful devotee.There are many similar triptychs that combine secular subjects, such as the dragon and the tiger, with a central Buddhist image. Such triptychs were often hung in the tokonoma (alcove) of official rooms, an architectural feature suited for displaying prized Chinese-style art that developed in Japanese interiors during the fourteenth century. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #7719. White-R

A Chinese deity with the third eye, a bow and arrows and two curved daggers. Gouache painting by a Chinese artist.

A Chinese sage, accompanied by his young assistant, blesses a frog. Painting by a Chinese artist.

Paper Talisman with the God, Master Cao early 20th century Unidentified artist(s). Paper Talisman with the God, Master Cao. Unidentified artist(s) , early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

Rakan, disciple of Buddha. Ink and colors on silk. Paris, Cernuschi museum. Arhat, Asian art, Theravada Buddhism, Calligraphy, Disciple, Kakemono, Silk Painting, Character, Buddhist philosophy, Buddhist religion, sage, wisdom

Chinese woodcut: Daoyin exercises, Brocade of the Dragon, 10

Woman at a table rolIIng threads and a monkey helping her, text Chazan,

Two Buddhist Paintings dated 670 (a) and 797 (b) Unidentified artist. Two Buddhist Paintings 51734

Examining Antiques at Literati Gathering 18th century Wang Li Mu. Examining Antiques at Literati Gathering 40436

Temple Print for the Kitanoyama Temple. Shintoist priest, sitting on raising.

Portrait of En no Gyōja late 14th-15th century Attributed to Jakusai 済 Japanese The legendary founder of a sect of mountain-dwelling religious practitioners called Shugendō, En no Gyōja is said to have lived during the seventh century on Mount Katsuragi, near the ancient capital of Nara. He is believed to have conjured Zaō Gongen of Mount Kinpusen, the guardian deity of Shugendō.In this portrait, En no Gyōja appears in his conventional hood, monk’s robe, straw mantle, and wood sandals. He is usually shown holding a vajra (thunderbolt sword) and a shakujō (jeweled staff with six rings); here, however, he bears a rosary and one of his two servant-demons has the shakujō. According to legend, En no Gyōja ordered these demons (one red and one green) to serve him. Had they refused, he had the power to bind them with a spell. The landscape suggests a high mountain with a stream and hovering clouds.. Portrait of En no Gyōja 44952

Pulse chart: Locations for palpating taixi & chongyang pulse

Immortal Poet 17th century Kano Shōun Japanese. Immortal Poet 45710

Taoist sky - a pantheon of deities; 19th century (1801-00-00-1820-00-00);Chinese (culture), coil painting, Chinese art, purchase (provenance), scrolls, vertical scrolls

Scene from The Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai e-inga-kyo; Matsunaga Version). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 10 15/16 in. (27.8 cm); W. 61 5/8 in. (156.5 cm). Date: late 13th century.This illuminated sutra tells the story of the historical Buddha's good deeds in his past lives and the path of his religious enlightenment from prince to bodhisattva and finally to Buddhahood. This detached section from a longer handscroll, based on earlier Chinese models, illustrates the temptation of the prince by the demon king Mara and his army as they try to distract him from his meditation. Two of Mara's sisters appear bearing skulls, and weapon-wielding demonic figures converge on the prince. The supernatural power of the prince, however, repels all threats. Huge boulders to be cast at him will not move; flying arrows are arrested in midair; lightning, rain, and fire are transformed into blossoming flowers; the poisonous breath of dragons becomes a fragrant breeze. Museu

Chinese C18: Paediatric pox -- 'Head Enveloping' pox

Dzambhala or Dodnevangpa, the God of wealth, with his assistants. Chromolithograph.

Amida Triad in the Form of Sacred Sanskrit Syllables 13th century Japan Embroidered Buddhist images were introduced to Japan from China in the sixth century. Large embroideries were prominent among icons from the sixth through the ninth century and were often hung in temple lecture halls. In the Kamakura period, practices focused on attaining birth in the Buddha Amidas (Sanskrit: Amitābha) Western Paradise became widespread, and many small embroideries like this one were produced for individual devotional practice and deathbed ritual. In place of anthropomorphic images, the Sanskrit syllables for Amida, Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara), and Seishi (Sanskrit: Mahasthamaprapta) are used in this scroll. The needleworker substituted human hair for silk thread in the Sanskrit characters, a practice common in scrolls used during ceremonies following the death of a devotee, when prayers were offered for safe birth in Amidas Pure Land. The embroidery conveniently depicts an altar set with

A Chinese man with is attended upon by a woman and child who try to pick out a thorn from his foot. Gouache painting by a Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

Paper Talisman with Efficacious Deity early 20th century Unidentified artist(s). Paper Talisman with Efficacious Deity. Unidentified artist(s) , early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

The Monk from Danxia Burning a Wooden Image of the Buddha. Unkoku Tōgan (Japan, 1547-1618). Japan, late 16th-early 17th century. Paintings; scrolls. Hanging scroll; ink on paper

Temple print for the Toshodaiji Temple, Anonymous, 1200 - 1300 print Budda statue, sitting in Lotus attitude, on Lotus -shaped base Japan paper Buddha, founder of Buddhism

Pan-Gu, the primordial giant of Chinese myth, holding the symbol of yin and yang. Woodcut, 1850/1900 ().

The Actor Sawamura Sojuro III as the Monk Seigen ( ) in the Play Saikai Soga Nakamura ( ), Performed at the Nakamura Theater ( ) in the First Month, 1793 ( ) 1788-1798 Japan. Color woodblock print; hosoban . Katsukawa Shun'ei

Parinirvana of Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha, 1863, Harada Keigaku, Japanese, 1803 - 85, 38 5/16 x 16 15/16 in. (97.31 x 43.02 cm) (image)68 3/4 x 22 13/16 in. (174.63 x 57.94 cm) (without roller), Ink on silk, Japan, 19th century, This painting depicts the death of Sakyamuni, the historic Buddha, in 438 B.C. The Indian prince turned sage is shown lying on his side, having delivered his final teachings. Creatures from far and wide have come to bid him farewell, including the spirit of his mother, Queen Maya, who descends from the heavens (upper left). Not understanding that the sage, through his enlightenment, has escaped the suffering incumbent on repeated deaths and rebirths, holy men and animals alike weep and writhe in grief.

Immortal Poet 17th century Kano Shōun Japanese. Immortal Poet 45703

Chinese woodcut: Daoyin exercises, Brocade of the Dragon, 12

The Thousand Buddha Grotto dated 690-691 Unidentified artist. The Thousand Buddha Grotto. Unidentified artist. China. dated 690-691. Ink and color on paper. Paintings

The Actor Yoshizawa Ayame as a Samurai ca. 1713 Torii Kiyomasu I Japanese. The Actor Yoshizawa Ayame as a Samurai 37103

The Actor Sawamura Sjr III as the Kumano Pilgrim Jissaku, actually Taira no Shigemori 1785 (Tenmei 5), 11th month Katsukawa Shunsh Though no information is provided on the print itself, the actor can be assuredly identified as Sawamura Sjr III (1753-1801) by the crest on the sleeve of his robe: a stylized kana “i” in a circle (). Sjr was an actor popular both in Edo and Kamigata, excelling in wagoto (gentle style) roles.On the actor’s sedge hat (sugekasa) are inscribed the characters “Saigoku” , referring to the Saigoku sanjsan-sho, a pilgrimage of thirty-three Buddhist temples with Kannon statues throughout the Kansai region of Japan, though subsequent confirmation of contemporary playbills reveals that Sjr preformed as a pilgrim who had been to the Kumano shrines. The other characters on the hat, partly hidden, seem to read “dgy ninin” (famous people [actors on the same journey), which puns on the normal saying “dgy ninin” (two people on the same j

C19 Chinese MS moxibustion point chart: Yaoyan

Qigong exercise to treat involuntary seminal emission

Samurai is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. By the end of the 12th century, samurai became almost entirely synonymous with bushi, and the word was closely associated with the middle and upper echelons of the warrior class. The samurai followed a set of rules that came to be known as Bushidō. While they numbered less than ten percent of Japan's population, samurai teachings can still be found today in both everyday life and in martial arts such as Kendō, meaning the way of the sword.

Marici - Buddhist female deity. Zhang, Zhi (fl. ca 1901), painter

Not an emitted Lü Dongbin with a student; GU, Jianlong (1606-1684); XVII century () (1620-00-00-1687-00-00);Knothe, Jerzy (1917 -2002), Knothe, Jerzy (1917 -2002)-collection, immortal, guardian deities (iconogr.), Chinese (culture), coil painting, Chinese art, purchase (provenance), scrolls, scrolls Vertical

Krishna comes with two cows to a linga altar, on which lies a calf, in the foreground left two kneeling servants with bowls behind a pond with lotus flowers and ducklings, in the background hovers a winged deity above large flowers and a tree, Krishna with cows of linga altar, draughtsman: anonymous, Bundi, c. 1780, paper, brush, h 225 mm × w 163 mm

Krishna with cows from Linga altar, anonymous, c. 1780 Indian miniature. drawing Krishna comes with two cows to a Linga altar, on which a calf lies; In the foreground on the left two kneeled servants with bowls behind a pond with lotus flowers and ducks; In the background, a winged deity floats over large flowers and a tree. Bundi paper brush

Deities of joy and honors in the ace of two acolytes; beginning of the 20th century (1901-00-00-1932-00-00);

Bodhisattva, anonymous, 1800 - 1900 Painting in ink and blue, green and red mineral pigments on paper, with a tray of a standing Bodhsattva, the hands in Añjali mudā, a hand gesture of greeting and worship. Korea paper. ink. dye Painting in ink and blue, green and red mineral pigments on paper, with a tray of a standing Bodhsattva, the hands in Añjali mudā, a hand gesture of greeting and worship. Korea paper. ink. dye

Sakata Hangoro II, the actor, Ippitsusai Buncho (active 1760-1794), Japan. Japanese Civilisation, 18th century.

Iconographic drawings of the forms of Kannon, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, 5th month of 1230, 1230, 5th lunar month, Jinken, Japanese, act. 13th century, 9 7/8 × 459 7/16 in. (25.08 × 1166.97 cm) (image)9 7/8 × 473 1/4 in. (25.08 × 1202.06 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink and color on paper, Japan, 13th century, An array of Buddhist deities was introduced to Japan from China and Korea in the 700s. The complexity of their identities, attributes, and symbols required the compilation of drawings that systematically illustrated their appropriate postures, implements, and hand gestures. Painters, sculptors, and other artists used the drawings as guides when they created new icons. This handscroll, made by a Buddhist priest in the 1200s, shows many variations of the compassionate deity Kannon. The bronze statue of Kannon displayed here is identical to one of the sketches on the handscrollevidence that the artist referred to a drawing similar to this one.

New Year Picture of scene in the drama, Sanniang jiaozi (Lady Sanniang Instructing Her Son) early 20th century Unidentified artist(s). New Year Picture of scene in the drama, Sanniang jiaozi (Lady Sanniang Instructing Her Son). Unidentified artist(s) , early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (191249). Prints

Shirabyshi Dancer and Female Servant; Courtesan and Girl Attendant mid-18th century Tsukioka Settei The golden courtier’s cap worn by the women on the right indicates that she is a shirabyshi, and, as such, she who would have performed an old form of seductive courtly dance in which the women wore male costume. A female attendant helps tie her sash. On the left, a courtesan with an elaborate coiffure, of a style a generation or two before the artist’s time, is accompanied by a girl attendant (kamuro) who carries a satchel and a showy long-stemmed pipe (kiseru), which would have been used when joining a client to smoke tobacco during a visit to the pleasure quarters. The courtesan holds a hozuki (Chinese lantern plant), which ripen during the late summer and, if dried, can be turned into a makeshift whistle. Hozuki were cultivated as a medicinal plant, since ingesting it was said to relieve fevers and ease morning sickness for pregnant women—though it is unclear if the artist wanted t

Buddha; the beginning of the 20th century (1901-00-00-1920-00-00);

New Year's Square, Anonymous, c. 1800 - c. 1899 print A boy in the foreground shows a writrol with the lucky stitch and two bats, symbol for happiness. China paper

Chinese woodcut: Daoyin exercises, Brocade of the Dragon, 1

Book of Iconography. Nepal, 17th century. Books. Ink on paper

Shoki, De Kwelgeest van Demons. Man with sword and wake beard, a demon in the left hand. Above left flight a second demon away.

Consort Yu 18th century Japan. Consort Yu 54795

Album of Daoist and Buddhist Themes: Procession of Daoist Deities: Leaf 22, 1200s. China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Album, ink on paper; sheet: 34 x 38.3 cm (13 3/8 x 15 1/16 in.).

Chinese woodcut: Qigong exercise to treat boils

Chinese woodcut: Twelve Brocades of Cultivation: 7th posture

Chinese manuscript.10th cent. Manjusri on his lion with lion tamer and boy.

White-robed Avalokiteshvara Viewing a Waterfall, 15th century, Unknown Japanese, 37 1/2 × 15 1/2 in. (95.25 × 39.37 cm) (image)70 11/16 × 21 7/8 in. (179.55 × 55.56 cm) (without roller), Ink on silk, Japan, 15th century, Avalokiteshvara, known in Japanese as Kannon, is one of the most popular deities in Zen Buddhism, and monochrome ink paintings of Kannon relaxing in nature were a staple of Zen painters repertoires. Such images imagine the deity in his own paradise, which sacred texts describe as a high seaside grotto surrounded by waterfalls and lush plants. Here, Kannon sits casually on a boulder, his legs tucked beneath him, and gazes up at a waterfall.

Gaikoku jinbutsu zukushi - minami Amerika | Library of Congress

Demon Reciting Buddhist Prayers, 18th - early 19th century, Unknown Japanese, 20 7/8 × 8 in. (53.02 × 20.32 cm) (image)52 5/8 × 11 1/4 in. (133.67 × 28.58 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink and color on paper, Japan, 18th-19th century

The Bodhisattva Willow Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) late 19th century Style of Wu Daozi Chinese. The Bodhisattva Willow Kannon (Avalokiteshvara). Style of Wu Daozi (Chinese, 689-after 755). Japan. late 19th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. Meiji period (1868-1912). Paintings

Shrine Maiden-Shamaness Possessed by a Spirit, from Illustrated Legends of the Kitano Tenjin Shrine (Kitano Tenjin engi emaki). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 11 3/16 × 21 15/16 in. (28.4 × 55.8 cm)Overall with mounting: 46 7/8 × 26 15/16 in. (119 × 68.5 cm)Overall with knobs: 46 7/8 × 28 15/16 in. (119 × 73.5 cm). Date: ca. 1300.The ancient Shinto belief that forces of nature are animated by human spirits underlies legends of the Kitano Tenjin Shrine. Scholar-statesman Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) died in exile following slander by enemies; when natural disasters caused the deaths of his detractors, his spirit was deified as Tenjin, patron of the falsely accused. In this scene a disheveled, partially unclothed shrine maiden, possessed by Michizane's spirit, performs an ecstatic dance. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Guanyin on Mt. Potalaka with Sudhana, 16th century, 50 x 23 in. (127 x 58.42 cm) (image, approximate), Ink and color on silk, China, 16th century, Guanyin, the Chinese name of the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the compassionate savior in Buddhism, was originally worshipped in the form of an Indian prince. Beginning in the Song period (960-1279), however, the Chinese transformed the bodhisattva into the Goddess of Mercy, depicted as a beautiful Chinese woman.

Chinese C18: Paediatric pox - 'Temple Enveloping' pox

Shō-Kannon, first half 19th century, Suzuki Kiitsu, Japanese, 1796 - 1858, 39 3/4 × 18 5/8 in. (100.97 × 47.31 cm) (image)76 × 28 1/8 in. (193.04 × 71.44 cm) (mount), Ink, color, and gold on silk, Japan, 19th century, Shō-Kannon represents the primary form of the bodhisattva of compassion. Seated on a lotus blossom, he holds a lotus bud in his left hand and his right hand forms a mudrā across his chest. Encircling Kannons head and torso is a moon-like halo set against a deep blue sky that recalls Kiitsus Moon and Waves, also in this exhibition.

Sixth -Cioratory Mahakala; 19th century (1791-00-00-1810-00-00);

Sacred Names of Shinto Deities and the "Oracles of the Three Shrines". Calligrapher: Mokujiki Shonin (Japanese, 1718-1810). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 31 1/2 × 8 1/8 in. (80 × 20.7 cm). Date: 1805.Mokujiki achieved fame as a sculptor of roughly carved wood statues of Buddhist deities. His brush writing demonstrates a similar level of energy and piety. Here, he inscribed names of Shinto deities regarded as local manifestations of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, followed by the so-called "Oracles of the Three Shrines," an example of the calligraphic works that became devotional objects for people unable to visit the great shrines of Ise, Hachimangu Daibosatsu, and Kasuga. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Men in oriental costume. It may be about dignitaries that were present at the coronation of Tsar Nicolaas II. Page 8 from a sketchbook with 54 sheets.

The Naxi or Nakhi are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China. The Naxi are thought to have come originally from Tibet and, until recently, maintained overland trading links with Lhasa and India. The Naxi form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. The Naxi are traditionally followers of the Dongba religion. Through both Han Chinese and Tibetan cultural influences, they adopted Tibetan Buddhism and, to a lesser extent, Taoism, in the 10th century.

Sacred Name of Tenjin, 1500s. Sakugen Shūryō (Japanese, 1501-1579). Hanging scroll; ink on paper; overall: 105.4 x 18.4 cm (41 1/2 x 7 1/4 in.). The story emerged in the early 1300s that the kami Tenjin had traveled to China and achieved enlightenment under a famous Buddhist meditation master. Paintings of the subject as well as written invocations of Tenjins name were highly valued by the monks of Japans Zen Buddhist communities, to which an invocation of Tenjins name brushed by Zen monk Sakugen Sh?ry? attests. Sakugen was both a poet and an official envoy to Ming China in the 1500s. Creating calligraphies of deities names was akin to painting religious icons.

Procession. Shibata Zeshin (Japan, 1807-1891). Japan, mid to late 19th century. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes (Chinese: Mogao ku) (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25 km (15.5 miles) southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years. The first caves were dug out 366 CE as places of Buddhist meditation and worship. The Mogao Caves are the best known of the Chinese Buddhist grottoes and, along with Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, are one of the three famous ancient sculptural sites of China. The caves also have famous wall paintings. Count Otani Kozui (27 December 1876 - 5 October 1948) was the 22nd Abbot of the Nishi Honganji sub-sect of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism in Kyoto, Japan. He is known for expeditions to Buddhist sites in Central Asia. Between 1902 and 1910, he financed 3 expeditions to Central A

Byaku-E Kannon (White-Robed Avalokiteshvara) , early 14th century. Hanging scroll, ink and color on paper, Image: 12 7/8 x 26 3/4 in. (32.7 x 67.9 cm). Asian Art early 14th century

Pilgrim's Visiting Album 18th century Japan An adherent of the Pure Land School of Buddhism compiled the content of these albumsslips of paper brushed with the name of the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitābha)on temple visits. The signed and sealed slips indicate that most of the calligraphers were abbots of Pure Land temples in the greater Edo (Tokyo) area. The albums also have paintings of Amida, as well as Shandao, an influential Tang dynasty (618-907) monk; Hōnen, the founder of the Pure Land School in Japan; and a youthful Shinran, the founder of the True Pure Land School. A portrait of the monk Yūten Kenyo (1637-1718), who served as the thirty-sixth abbot of the Edo temple Zōjōji, appears on the right-hand side of a page of one album. Yūten was born in the south of what is now Fukushima Prefecture, and entered Zōjōji as a novice at the age of twelve. He struggled in the academic environment there and left, but later, a dream encounter with the deity Fudō Myōo (Sanskrit: Achala Vidy

Fudo Myoo is a boddhisattva - a popular deity in Japanese Buddhism - who is always represented with a fearsome face appearing in a wreath of flames. This symbolizes the huge effort humans have to make for battling passions and worldly desires. The combination with letters in Indian Sanskrit is most unusual. Print by an unknown artist.

Sutra Cover 16th century China Sutras printed in the accordion-fold format were often encased by covers wrapped in decorative silks. Covers both protected the sacred words and presented the sutras in beautiful envelopes that signaled the importance of the contents within. These examples from the sixteenth century indicate the variety of sutra cover motifs, including some seemingly irrelevant to Buddhist philosophy, such as dragons, phoenixes, or the character shou, meaning longevity. Sutra Cover 44098

Shiko Munakata, Gautama and Bodhisattvas, 1951, woodcut on Japanese paper.

New Year Picture of the Kitchen Gods, Husband and Wife 1933 Unidentified. New Year Picture of the Kitchen Gods, Husband and Wife. Unidentified artist(s), Chinese, early 20th century. China. 1933. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (1912-49). Prints

The oldest frescoes in the German-speaking area (10th) (11th century) in the St. Proculus Church in Naturno, South Tyrol, Italy, Europe

A monk wearing mask(?) with horns, sitting on the ground, beating a drum, between 1750 and 1850, 1 painting : color.

Chinese woodcut: Daoyin exercises, Brocade of the Dragon, 5

Page of a Pilgrims Visiting Album late 18th-19th century Japan These album pages (14.140.2, .3) are two from a group of three that must at one point have belonged to a larger number, likely owned by a resident of Edo (Tokyo). Each of the three has a cover with multiple textile pieces, some of which may have come from Kaneiji, a Tendai School temple in the Ueno area of Edo, for they bear the Dharma names of either the fourth or the tenth Tokugawa shogun, both of whom had their graves at the temple. One (14.140.2) has the name of the tenth shogun, “Shunmeiin dono” (Tokugawa Ieharu, 1737-1786). The one shown here, which has a similar cover, is pasted with a small painting of the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitābha) bordered with golden characters spelling out “Hail the name of Amida Buddha,” as well as an image of the bodhisattva Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara) and a paper slip also reading “Hail the name of Amida Buddha.” The pages owner would have obtained these small images on temp

Sakyamuni and Attendant Bodhisattvas in a Landscape. Artist: Unidentified Artist Chinese. Culture: China. Dimensions: Image: 38 x 19 1/4 in. (96.5 x 48.9 cm)Overall with mounting: 78 x 24 5/8 in. (198.1 x 62.5 cm)Overall with knobs: 78 x 26 5/8 in. (198.1 x 67.6 cm). Date: late 13th-early 14th century.This painting stands midway between the hieratic icons employed in formal temple ceremonies and the informal images that served Chan (or Zen) monks as personal devotional images for use in meditation. The intimate scale, informality of the figures' poses, and landscape setting link the painting to Chan-style depictions of Shakyamuni--the human origin of the Buddha--as an ascetic descending from the mountains just prior to achieving Buddhahood. In this scene, the Buddhist equivalent of Christ's Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, Shakyamuni offers a parallel to the Chan practitioner's search for individual enlightenment.Landscape elements in the painting follow the meticulously descript

Various New Years pictures and door gods early 20th century Unidentified. Various New Years pictures and door gods. Unidentified artist(s), early 20th century. China. early 20th century. Woodblock print; ink and color on paper. Republic period (1912-49). Prints

A ninja () or shinobi () was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan who specialized in unorthodox warfare. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, and open combat in certain situations. Their covert methods of waging war contrasted the ninja with the samurai, who observed strict rules about honor and combat. The shinobi proper, a specially trained group of spies and mercenaries, appeared in the Sengoku or 'warring states' period, in the 15th century, but antecedents may have existed in the 14th century, and possibly even in the 12th century (Heian or early Kamakura era).

Raijin is a god of lightning, thunder and storms in the Shinto religion and in Japanese mythology. He is typically depicted as a demonic spirit beating drums to create thunder, usually with a tomoe symbol drawn on the drums. In Japanese art, the deity is often depicted together with the wind god Fujin. Ogata Krin (1658 - June 2, 1716) was a Japanese painter of the Rinpa school. He was born in Kyoto, to a wealthy merchant who had a taste for the arts. Korin also studied under Soken Yamamoto, the Kano school, Tsunenobu and Gukei Sumiyoshi, and was greatly influenced by his predecessors Hon'ami Ketsu and Tawaraya Sotatsu. 'Wind God and Thunder God' by Ogata Korin is a replica of Tawaraya Sotatsu's four panel folding screen of the same title ('Fujin Raijin Zu), Kyoto, early 17th century.

Water and Moon Kuan-Yin, Tibetan culture

Acupuncture chart: side of the head, Chinese woodcut

Daoyin technique to nurture visceral essence, C19 Chinese MS

Japanese God Quanwon; Quanwon. An image of the Japanese god Quanwon, seated on a flower. At the top right numbered: 144.

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