Kujaku Myoo (Mahamayuri)

Unlike most myoo (Wisdom Kings) with furious appearances, this one has a gentle face. The Peacock King is a deified form of the peacock, a bird known for its ability to eat poisonous snakes and insects. Holding a lotus flower, a peacock feather and fruit, the Peacock King was believed to be able to safeguard people by eliminating poisons, horrors and worldly desires. Kūkai, the founder of esoteric Shingon Buddhism, transmitted the Tang dynasty’s image of the Peacock King from China to Japan and it is especially important within the Shingon tradition.

Heian period Japanese Buddhist paintings of the 12th century attained an exquisite beauty all their own. A careful look at the painting reveals the high level of artistic excellence extending even to the addition of colors on the back of the painting, allowing greater understanding of the beauty of Heian period Buddhist paintings. The Peacock King’s garments and the lotus petals have subtle gradations of carefully matched colors shaded with white pigment, lending a glowing effect. Exquisitely minute patterns made with very fine cut gold leaf in the technique called kirikane are also applied. The peacock’s tail feathers are highlighted with gold pigment made from gold powder and nikawa animal glue and the spines of the feathers use kirikane cut gold leaf. This work demonstrates the delicate use of color prominent in art from the late Heian period, when cloistered emperors held power.