Japan: 'Shinchu, the Divine Insect (Extermination of Evil)'. Handscroll painting, 12th century. This artwork was part of a set of five hanging scrolls entitled 'Extermination of Evil', depicting benevolent deities who expel demons of plague. This scroll was originally part of a handscroll known as the 'Second edition of the Masuda family Hell Scroll', which was cut into sections after World War II. The text on the scroll explains the acts of the god in exterminating evil. The Divine Insect is an euphemism for the silkworm which takes the form of a moth in this depiction.

---

Size: 7000px × 2840px
Photo credit: © Pictures From History / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 12th, art, arts, asia, asian, calligraphy, century, deity, demon, divine, east, evil, exorcism, exorcist, extermination, exterminator, god, handscroll, hanging, hell, historical, history, image, images, insect, japan, japanese, moth, myth, mythical, mythological, mythology, painting, paintings, pictures, plague, religion, script, scroll, shinchu, silkworm, text, writing