Yaksa form of Vajrapani (Blue Fudo)
13th-14th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1905.97
Tags
About this artwork
Wielding a vajra, an implement named for its diamond-like hardness, this deity presents a fearsome image intended to dispel evil thoughts and actions. It probably represents Zao Gongen, a deity especially revered by practitioners of Shugendo, a religious order that conducts ascetic practices in the mountains to attain magical powers, especially those for exorcism and healing. Known as yamabushi, practitioners of Shugendo combine practices of esoteric Buddhism with beliefs in mountains as sacred ...
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...