Heavenly King

Tōdai-ji’s Heavenly King Bishamonten Postcard

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Hidden among the treasures of Nara’s Tōdai-ji stands a fierce guardian: Bishamonten, the Heavenly King of the North. Clad in armor with eyes blazing, this towering 4.2-meter cypress statue exemplifies the remarkable craftsmanship of thirteenth-century Japanese Buddhist sculpture.

Bishamonten, adapted from the Indian deity Vaiśravaṇa, is foremost a “demon subduer who subjugates maleficent entities,” and by extension serves as a protector of the Buddhist teachings and of the rulers who uphold them. In Japan, he also came to be revered as a patron deity of warriors.

This postcard was published by Tōdai-ji, the historically powerful temple complex in the ancient capital of Nara. It was likely issued as part of a souvenir set in the late 1930s. The small emblem in the stamp box depicts the great fish-shaped roof ornament crowning the temple’s main hall.

In his hand Bishamonten holds a miniature pagoda, a reliquary associated with the relics of the Buddha. The object underscores his role as a guardian of the Buddhist teachings, while also reflecting his parallel identity as a protector of treasure and bestower of prosperity.

For this reason, Bishamonten is also venerated as one of Japan’s Seven Gods of Good Fortune. For more on the many roles of Bishamonten, see Bernard Faure, Gods of Medieval Japan: Protectors and Predators (2015).

The Buddhas in the West Material Archive is a digital scholarship project that catalogues artifacts depicting Buddhist material culture for Western audiences. It’s comprised of prints, photos, and an assortment of ephemera and other objects. For a brief introduction to this archive, visit the main Buddhas in the West project page.

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Engraving of John Thomson’s Photograph of Gushan’s Monks

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After Fuzhou opened to foreign trade in 1842, missionaries, merchants, and travelers began climbing the stone stairway to Gushan. The dramatic setting with temple roofs rising from forested slopes above the Min River plain made it irresistible to photographers and travel writers.

Set on the peaks of Gushan, Yongquan Monastery was a large complex with many monks and thus drew considerable attention from foreigners. The temple was relatively close to the city center of Fuzhou, making excursions into the mountains feasible for many.

The woodcut engraving depicting the monks of Gushan appeared in an 1884 edition of L’Univers illustré, an illustrated weekly French newspaper. The accompanying short article notes the Buddhist monastery on Gushan “ranks among the most renowned” in Fuzhou.

Scottish photographer John Thomson took many photos of Fuzhou and the Min River in the 1870s, including the monks of Yongquan Monastery. This engraving clearly draws upon a photograph first published by Thomson in his Foochow and the River Min (1873).

The artist R. Caton Woodville transformed Thomson’s formal sitting portrait into a more animated scene with monks walking by the temple gate; the Heavenly King statue was added for dramatic effect. To compare the engraving with Thomson’s photo, see here: https://tinyurl.com/yeuepkht.

The Buddhas in the West Material Archive is a digital scholarship project that catalogues artifacts depicting Buddhist material culture for Western audiences. It’s comprised of prints, photos, and an assortment of ephemera and other objects. For a brief introduction to this archive, visit the main Buddhas in the West project page.

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