Iconographic Drawing of the Wisdom King Daiitoku (Daiitoku Myōō)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Daiitoku is a wrathful and protective Wisdom King (Myōō), whose Sanskrit name means “one who stops the power of the King of Hell.” He is shown with multiple heads, eyes, legs, and arms. In four hands he holds a trident, a wheel, a sword, and a jeweled club, while he joins his other two hands with both middle fingers extended, in the mudra of restraint (konpon-in). Painted images of Wisdom Kings like Daiitoku were used in rituals to protect society from harm. The red seal at the lower right of this drawing is an indication of the work’s early owner: the Buddhist monastery Kōzanji in Kyoto.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art