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Iconographic Drawing of a Rainmaking Mandala

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts a drawing of a buddha figure surrounded by dragons. The drawing is on a rectangular, aged-looking paper with a brown border around the edges. The border has a thin white line on the inside and a wider brown patterned line on the outside. The drawing itself shows a central figure of a buddha sitting cross-legged in the center, with a halo around their head. The buddha has their hands in their lap and appears to be meditating. There are eight dragon-like creatures surrounding the buddha, four on each side. The dragons have long bodies that curve and twist, with their heads and tails extending outward from the center. Some of the dragons appear to be emerging from water. The background of the drawing is a light brown color, with some darker shading to suggest depth and texture. The overall effect is one of intricate detail and symbolism, suggesting that the drawing may be a representation of a religious or cultural icon. The title of the drawing is "Iconographic Drawing of a Rainmaking Mandala".

Artwork Details

Date
12th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
468 × 624 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette