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)
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attributes of other two hands are, however, indistinct.
In Japanese Buddhist sculptures we have not so far
come across any representation of Brahmani or Brahmi who is
called Bonten-nyo in Japanese texts. The term Bonten-nyo
evidently signifies that she is the female counterpart of
Bon-ten (Brahm膩).
Anyway, the iconographic section of the Taisho Edition
of the Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka portrays the figure of
Bonten-nyo (Brahmi). We, however, give below the description
of Br盲hmi (Bonten-nyo) figure that appears in the Daihi鈥揟aiz艒-
Dai Mandara (Mahakazu峁嚹� garbha mandala) contained in the
Chinese Buddhist Tripitaka.
Br盲hmi is placed beside the figure of the Sakr膩峁嚹� who
is evidently the female counterpart of Sakra-Indra, i.e.
Taishaku-ten. Brahmi clad in priestly dresses is seen seated
on an almost round pedestal in an easy posture (semi-cross-
legged). She is decorated with ornaments, such as bangles,
armlets, necklace and a head dress. She holds in her left
hand the stalk of a full blown lotus, Her right hand, which
is in fist, is held little upward.
Ganapati/Kangi-ten or Sh艒-ten
Ganapati or Ga峁噀艣a, one of the important deities of
the Hindus is regarded as the destroyer of all evils. The
elephant-headed pot-bellied god has a very important pantheon
