Description
The <i>Twelve Devas</i>, formerly owned by the temple, Tô-ji (also known as Kyôôgokoku-ji), were painted in 1127 (Daiji 2). Of the twelve in hanging scroll format, however, the paintings of Bonten (Skt., Brahman) and Fûten (Skt., Vayu) are expressed much more elaborately and are larger in scale. One theory suggests that these two are earlier works, painted in 1040 (Chôkyû 1), which escaped a fire that destroyed the rest of the original 1040 set. A more persuasive interpetation suggests that the differences derive from the individual styles of two different painters of the early 12th century.
Data source
ColBase
"ColBase: Integrated Collections Database of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan" is a service that enables a multi-database search of the collections in the four national museums (To...
Contents holder/Provider
Aggregator
National Institutes for Cultural Heritage
The National Institutes for Cultural Heritage (NICH) comprise four National Museums (Tokyo National Museum, Kyoto National Museum, Nara National Museum, and Kyushu National Museum) and two National Research Institutes for Cultural Properties (Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties), as well as the International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI) in Sakai City, for a total of seven institutions.
Last updated
July 20, 2026