Essay name: Buddhist iconography in and outside India (Study)
Author:
Purabi Gangopadhyay
Affiliation: University of Calcutta / Department of Ancient Indian History and Culture
This work aims to systematically present the development and expansion of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhist iconography from India to other countries, such as China, Korea, and Japan. This study includes a historical account of Indian Buddhist iconography and the integration of Brahmanical gods into the Mahayana-Vajrayana phase.
Chapter 4: Japanese Buddhist Iconography (a Comparative Study)
39 (of 101)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
- 123 - ideas have many features similar to that of the descriptions in the Japanese texts. (cf. PL. XVI. Fig 2.). Thus the Japanese conception of Ka-ten has some significant similarity with the representation of Agni in some Indian sculptures. The common aspects are the blue sheep es the mount of both Ka-ten and Agni. Ka-ten's body is encircled by flaming fire and that Agni's body emanates long waving flames. Another Japanese text Shosetou-Fud艒-ki describes the iconographic features of Ka-ten. Here he is depicted as an ascetic who is observing austerity. In his background there appears the flame of fire. His hairs and beard are white in colour, while his body is deep red. He is endowed with jewelled crown, necklace, bracelet and other ornaments. wears red undergarments and simple clothes that cover approximately half of his body. In the first right hand of the four-armed Ka-ten there is a triangular-shaped alter. With the three middle fingers of the second right hand Ka-ten holds He a hanging garland of beads. A pot is held in the first loft hand, while a stick is held in the second left hand. Vienudharmottara in its chapter 56 and verse 1-10 describes the god. 2 The various aspects of descriptions about the god is
mentioned in two texts are highly similar. Firstly both tho
1. HDIJBP, p. 53.
2. Vsd, Pt. III.
