Star Mandala
1615-1868
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1904.389a-c
Tags
About this artwork
Known variously as the Star Mandala or the Big Dipper Mandala, this painting is an Edo period (1615-1868) version of an iconographic concept that was imported to Japan from China in the ninth century. It was employed in Esoteric Buddhist rituals for the purpose of warding off epidemics, averting natural disasters, and prolonging life.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...