Yaksa (Yasha-o), from the series Kegon-fu
- Series:
- Kegon-fu
- Date:
- 1937
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Yaksa (Yasha-o) from the Kegon-fu series (1937) presents the yaksha — in Indian and Buddhist mythology, a class of nature spirits associated with the earth, forests, and the underworld, sometimes benevolent, sometimes fierce — within Munakata's Kegon Sutra cosmological pantheon. The yaksha king (Yasha-o) would be rendered with the ambivalent character of these supernatural beings: powerful, potentially threatening, but ultimately part of the Buddhist universe's ordered hierarchy of sacred and semi-sacred beings. Munakata's carving of the yaksha would carry the appropriate combination of natural vitality and supernatural force.
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Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yaksa (Yasha-o), from the series Kegon-fu was created by Shiko Munakata (棟方志功) in 1937.
Yes — Yaksa (Yasha-o), from the series Kegon-fu is part of the Kegon-fu series by Shiko Munakata.
Yaksa (Yasha-o), from the series Kegon-fu depicts waterfalls.