弁財天十五童子像|Benzaiten and Fifteen Attendants
The Met
Artist: Unknown
Date: 13th century
Department: Asian Art
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions: Overall: 53 1/2 x 19 3/8 in. (135.9 x 49.2 cm) Overall with mounting: 53 1/2 x 21 1/2 in. (135.9 x 54.6 cm)
Credit Line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A multi-armed figure with a flaming halo stands surrounded by kneeling figures, animals, and objects
Detailed Description
The artwork is a vertical scroll painting featuring a large central figure surrounded by numerous smaller figures and various objects, rendered primarily in black ink with light red and grey washes. The central figure, depicted standing, is significantly larger than the other elements. It has a face with a calm expression and closed eyes, long black hair, and an elaborate crown. A circular halo with eight flame-like motifs surrounds its head. The figure possesses multiple arms, holding various implements: a sword, a staff, a trident, a bow, an arrow, a lotus flower, a wheel, a vase, an axe, and a rope. Its robes are outlined in black and have light red accents. Below and to the sides of the central figure, twenty smaller figures are arranged in rows, kneeling on the ground. These figures are depicted with black hair, simple robes with light red accents, and some appear to hold small objects in their hands. Scattered on the ground around the kneeling figures are various items and animals. To the left, a small ox or cow and another animal resembling a dog or fox are visible. Other objects include bundles of reeds, a small boat, a box, and various tools such as a hammer, a sickle, and what appears to be a saw. Some of these objects have grey washes. Japanese characters are visible in the upper left corner and along the left side of the painting. The text in the upper left corner reads: "貞享四年". The text along the left side is more extensive and appears to be a vertical inscription, but it is partially obscured and difficult to fully transcribe from the image.
Generated by gemini-2.5-flash
