Yaksa form of Vajrapani (Blue Fudo)
date: label: Date
content: 13th-14th century
label: Period
content: Kamakura period
notes: label: Label
content: Wielding a vajra, an implement named for its diamond-like hardness, this deity presents a fearsome image intended to dispel evil thoughts and actions. It probably represents Zao Gongen, a deity especially revered by practitioners of Shugendo, a religious order that conducts ascetic practices in the mountains to attain magical powers, especially those for exorcism and healing. Known as yamabushi, practitioners of Shugendo combine practices of esoteric Buddhism with beliefs in mountains as sacred places, a native Japanese idea that preceded and coexisted with Buddhism.
label: Provenance
content: To 1905
label: Provenance
content: Yamanaka & Company, to 1905 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1905 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1905 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] Undated folder sheet note. Also see Original Panel List, pg. 17, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Religious Art of Japan (December 18, 2002 to January 4, 2015)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Japan
topic: label: Topic
content: Buddhism
label: Topic
content: Kamakura period (1185 - 1333)
label: Topic
content: vajra
label: Topic
content: Japan
label: Topic
content: yaksa
label: Topic
content: Akshobhya Buddha
label: Topic
content: Vajrapani
label: Topic
content: kakemono
label: Topic
content: Japanese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1905.97
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Color and gold on silk panel
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 106.5 x 51.1 cm (41 15/16 x 20 1/8 in)