Mandala of the Thirteen Buddhas (Jūsan butsu mandara)

Unidentified artist

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This grouping of thirteen Buddhist deities, consisting of five buddhas, seven bodhisattvas, and one wisdom king, is worshipped in the Shingon school. Each deity is the focus of one of thirteen memorial services conducted to pray for the postmortem wellbeing of a deceased person, held in the days, weeks, and years following death. This practice, which emerged in Japan in the fourteenth century and was widespread during the Muromachi period, is related to worship of the Ten Kings of Hell.

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