National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

The Twelve Devas are ancient Indian divinities that were incorporated into the Buddhism pantheon as guardian deities. They were originally established as a set of eight representing the eight directions: Taishakuten (Skt. Indra) for the east, Katen (Skt. Agni) for the southeast, Enmaten (Skt. Yama) for the south, Rasetsuten (Skt. Rākṣasa) for the southwest, Suiten (Skt. Varuṇa) for the west, Fūten (Skt. Vāyu) for the northwest, Bishamonten (Skt. Vaiśravaṇa) for the north, and Ishanaten (Skt. Īśāna) for the northeast. Later, four more were added to make twelve: Bonten (Skt. Brahmā) for the heavens, Jiten (Skt. Pṛthvī) for the earth, Nitten (Skt. Sūrya) for the sun, and Gatten (Skt. Candra) for the moon. The earliest paintings of the Twelve Devas produced in Japan are a set preserved at Saidaiji Temple in Nara. This is followed by another set passed down at Tōji Temple in Kyoto, which was created together with images of the Five Great Wisdom Kings in 1127 (Daiji 2). These were used in major esoteric rituals, like the Latter Seven Days Ritual (Goshichinichi no Mishiho) held the second week of the new year.

In these paintings, the devas are depicted on lotus-leaf pedestals, felt pedestals, or rising clouds with Sanskrit seed syllables at the top. This composition style can be traced to folding screens displayed during esoteric initiation rites (abhiṣeka) that seem to have replaced an earlier ritual procession of figures wearing masks of the Twelve Devas sometime during the late Heian period (794–1185). Images of the Twelve Devas that predate this set include those produced by the priest-artist Takuma Shōga (dates unknown) in 1191 (Kenkyū 2) that was preserved at Tōji Temple, as well as others passed down at Jingoji Temple in Kyoto and Shōjuraikōji Temple in Shiga. Like those works, these paintings were probably originally mounted on folding screens.

The depictions in this set, however, are very different from those passed down at Tōji Temple and Jingoji Temple (Shōjuraikōji Temple’s set is the same). Bonten has one face and four arms instead of four faces, and Jiten holds a vase in both hands instead of flowers in a basket. Nitten is drawn only with a lotus flower and without a sun wheel. Stylistically, the works feature meticulously drawn lines and heavy shading. The figures’ robes are decorated in patterns in gold paint and colored pigments. The paintings are admired for their solid renderings, and the set is cited as a valuable example of the Twelve Devas produced for folding screens during the Kamakura period (1185–1333).