Star Mandala 13th–14th century Japan An understanding of the impact of celestial bodies on human activity was crucial to early East Asian Esoteric Buddhism; by the tenth century, complex star mandalas unique to Japan were being devised and used in rites for the prevention of natural calamities and epidemics as well as for the prolonging of concentric circles and an external ring of figures form this star mandala. The Buddha Shakyamuni of the Golden Wheel occupies the central circle, while the disks in the second circle represent the Big Dipper. The third and fourth circles contain th
Star Mandala 13th–14th century Japan An understanding of the impact of celestial bodies on human activity was crucial to early East Asian Esoteric Buddhism; by the tenth century, complex star mandalas unique to Japan were being devised and used in rites for the prevention of natural calamities and epidemics as well as for the prolonging of concentric circles and an external ring of figures form this star mandala. The Buddha Shakyamuni of the Golden Wheel occupies the central circle, while the disks in the second circle represent the Big Dipper. The third and fourth circles contain the Nine Luminaries (including Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, Mercury, the sun, and the moon) as well as the lunar nodes (Rag? and Ket?) and the twelve zodiac symbols. In the fifth circle are the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions, the constellations through which the moon travels. Furthermore, the Thirty-Six Calendric Animals are paired with the Thirty-Six Celestial Star Mandala. Japan. 13th–14th century. Hanging scroll; ink, color, gold, and cut gold on silk. Kamakura period (1185–1333)–Nanbokuch? period (1336–92). Paintings
Size: 3722px × 4000px
Photo credit: © MET/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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