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Descent of the Nine Luminaries and the Seven Stars at Kasuga, 1300s. Creator: Unknown
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Descent of the Nine Luminaries and the Seven Stars at Kasuga, 1300s. Creator: Unknown
Descent of the Nine Luminaries and the Seven Stars at Kasuga, 1300s. This medieval religious painting shows celestial beings descending from the heavens into the Kasuga Shrine, a major religious site in Japans ancient capital, Nara. The moon and the Kasuga mountain range appear in the uppermost portion of the painting, as does a red shrine entrance gate, or torii. In the upper part of the painting, figural representations of the stars in the constellation known as the Big Dipper in the West descend from right to left on cloud banks. In the lower part, the Nine Luminaries (Sanskrit: Navagraha ) that emerged from the Vedic tradition--the sun and moon; the planets Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury; and personifications of the fluctuating lunar nodes--descend in similar fashion. The painting uses the " deities in descent" scheme originating in China, as well as the original Buddhist form mandala (Japanese: honjibutsu mandarazu ) format prevalent in medieval Japanese Shinto-Buddhist painting, to generate an image connected to the worship of celestial bodies in Esoteric Buddhism
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Media ID 19618989
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This print captures the essence of medieval Japanese religious art. Titled "Descent of the Nine Luminaries and the Seven Stars at Kasuga" this painting showcases celestial beings descending from the heavens into the revered Kasuga Shrine in Nara, Japan's ancient capital. The uppermost portion of the artwork reveals a breathtaking view of the moon and Kasuga mountain range, accompanied by a vibrant red shrine entrance gate known as torii. Moving down, figural representations of stars from the Big Dipper constellation gracefully descend on cloud banks, symbolizing their journey to earth. In the lower part of this masterpiece, we witness an awe-inspiring sight: The Nine Luminaries emerge from Vedic tradition and make their descent. These include not only our beloved sun and moon but also planets such as Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, Mercury. Additionally, personifications representing fluctuating lunar nodes join them in their celestial voyage. Drawing inspiration from Chinese traditions and incorporating elements of Esoteric Buddhism prevalent in medieval Japanese Shinto-Buddhist paintings like mandalas (known as honjibutsu mandarazu), this artwork serves as a visual representation connected to worshiping celestial bodies. With its intricate details and rich symbolism rooted in ancient beliefs, this print invites viewers to delve into Japan's spiritual heritage while marveling at its artistic prowess.
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