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Twelve Devas
Bon-ten (Brahman) (One of the Twelve Devas)
基本情報
- Hanging scroll, color and gold on silk
- 144.2 x 126.5 cm
- Late-Heian Period (Dated 1127)
- National Treasure
- AK 283
Bon-ten is one of the Twelve Devas, originally owned by Kyoogokoku-ji (To-ji) Temple, that were made in 1127 to be hung at the annual, New Year's ceremony of esoteric prayers, at Shingon-in in the Imperial Palace.
Of the twelve scrolls, Bon-ten and Fu-ten have a particularly elaborate and large-scale decorations. This has led some scholars to believe that these two were part of an earlier 1040 set of Twelve Devas and were somehow rescued from the fire that destroyed the others. A more probable explanation is that Bon-ten and Fu-ten were painted by a different artist than the other scrolls.
The twelve devas are the guardians of the four quarters and four semi-quarters, up and down, and the sun and moon. Bon-ten guards the upward direction.
Bishamon-ten Ishana-ten Taishaku-ten Ka-ten Enma-ten Rasetsu-ten Sui-ten Fu-ten Bon-ten Ji-ten Nitten Gatten