Demon Intoning the Name of the Buddha
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1704
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Demon Intoning the Name of the Buddha is a 1704 unspecified by Unknown, a Baroque work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
You see a grinning demon dressed like a wandering monk, chanting into a scroll. These were cheap, cheerful souvenirs sold to travelers in the town of Otsu. The artist probably made dozens a day—quick brushstrokes, stenciled gold, bright colors. The joke is that even a demon can recite Buddha’s name, so anyone can find salvation. Look up more paintings from japan, edo period (1615–1868) to see how artists turned everyday life into playful art.
Images like this one that depicts a demon in the guise of an itinerant monk intoning the name of the Buddha are called Otsu-e, or "Otsu paintings." Otsu-e were made as souvenirs for travelers passing through the station of Otsu along the Tokaido, the route stretching from Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto. Realized through a combination of woodblock printing, rapid brushstrokes, embellishment with color and gold pigments by stencil or by hand, the earliest Otsu-e, produced in the 17th century, were Buddhist and Shinto icons. Later images included figures popular from Kabuki plays, as well as…
Read the full account in the museum source.
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