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

The 28th chapter of the Lotus Sutra is titled “Encouragement of Samantabhadra” and describes the bodhisattva Fugen (Skt. Samantabhadra) as the guardian of those who keep the sutra’s tenets. Fugen is depicted here with the Ten Protective Demonesses (Skt. Rākṣasīs) and Kishimojin (Skt. Hārītī), who are described in the 26th chapter “Dharani” as also watching over believers. The deities are accompanied by two attendant bodhisattvas, Yakuō (Skt. Bhaiṣajyarāja) and Yūze (Skt. Pradānaśūra), as well as the devas Jikokuten (Skt. Dhṛtarāṣṭra) and Tamonten (Skt. Vaiśravaṇa) soaring on a large cloud to appear before adherents to the Buddhist path.

An oversized rendering of Fugen is shown riding on a white elephant with six tusks. The bodhisattva is wearing monastic robes in a style similar to Song dynasty (960–1279) paintings from China. In contrast, the Ten Protective Demonesses (one is missing) and Kishimojin are wearing formal robes (jūni hitoe) traditionally donned by women in the Japanese court. This feature is unusual, and it may have held some special significance for people of the day to see Japanese and Chinese elements paired together. The painting has a solid composition and impressive sense of style. Each deity is drawn in clearly defined lines, and their robes have meticulous designs in colored pigments, particularly the demonesses’ jūni hitoe.

The iconographic tradition of depicting Fugen with the Ten Protective Demonesses was likely established in the late Heian period (794–1185) to cater to the Buddhist beliefs of noblewomen at the imperial court. In such works, the Ten Protective Demonesses were painted either in Chinese attire or in Japanese attire, with the latter thought to represent Japanese women believers themselves. This is an interesting case in the history of Japanese painting, as it reflects a shift toward incorporating local religious practices into Buddhist art to produce works that resonated more intimately with Japanese believers. The stylistic form of the Ten Protective Demonesses in Japanese attire was likely established by the mid-12th century at the latest. There are surprisingly few good-quality extant paintings of Fugen and the Ten Protective Demonesses. This particular one dates later than one in a private collection in Tokyo but before another owned by Fukushōji Temple in Hyōgo Prefecture.