Mask of Fudō Myōō
18th–19th century
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
12 5/16 x 9 3/16 in. (31.3 x 23.3 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Annette Young, in memory of her brother, Innis Young, 1956
Accession Number
56.121.26
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the fierce *Mask of Fudō Myōō*, a striking ink-on-paper painting by the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, created during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). Measuring just 12 5/16 x 9 3/16 inches, this intimate work captures the wrathful visage of Fud Myōō, the "Immovable Wisdom King" in Esoteric Buddhism—a fierce deity who wields a sword to vanquish evil and protect the faithful. Hokusai, renowned for his ukiyo-e woodblock prints like *The Great Wave off Kanagawa*, masterfully channels this protective spirit through bold, expressive brushwork. In Edo-era Japan, Buddhism flourished alongside S...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai · 1760–1849
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) stands as one of history's most influential artists, a Japanese master who revolutionized the ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and profoundly shaped Western art. Born in the Katsushika district of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to an artisan family, Hokusai lived through nearly nine decades of extraordinary creative evolution, adopting over thirty different artistic names t...