Statue of Mahamayuri on Colored Silk

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The Statue of Mahamayuri on Colored Silk is a 12th‑century Heian period silk painting that depicts the bodhisattva Mahamayuri. It is the oldest surviving image of Mahamayuri in Japan and is designated a National Treasure. The work is kept at the Tokyo National Museum under accession number A-11529, with the designation awarded on June 9, 1951.

The image shows Mahamayuri seated on a lotus throne atop a golden peacock, facing the viewer. He has one face and two pairs of arms, holding four objects: a lotus flower, a double fruit, an auspicious fruit, and a peacock tail. The composition is frontal and mandala‑like, with decorative vases at each corner. The bodhisattva’s body is white, shaded with peach, orange, green, and vermilion; the robes, mandorla, and peacock use green, blue, and gold, enhanced by gold leaf and kirikane patterns.

Mahamayuri is a protective figure in Chinese and Tibetan Buddhism, and the Heian image connects to the spread of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. A tradition associates the commission of this type of image with Kūkai, the founder of Shingon, who is said to have preached Mahamayuri’s virtues to Emperor Saga in 810 and to have commissioned related works around 821. The oldest surviving Japanese Mahamayuri works include this painting and a related image from Ninna-ji. In modern times, the painting has undergone restoration (1994, aided by infrared imaging) and has inspired reproductions, including a 2016 exhibit highlighting kirikane craftsmanship and a 2021 Canon Tsuzuri facsimile project that produced a highly precise copy for the National Institutes of Cultural Heritage.