Accompanied by bodhisattvas and celestial maidens, the bodhisattva Miroku descends on a cloud, weaving his way through the mountains. A pagoda adorns the upper left of the painting, and the bodhisattva Jizō (Skt. Kṣitigarbha) along with the fearsome wisdom king Fudō Myōō (Skt. Acala) appear in the lower left and right, respectively. Particularly in Nara, this iconography for depicting Miroku’s descent was prevalent from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) onward.
Object label
As if they hasten towards us weaving through the mountains, the bodhisattva Miroku (Skt. Maitreya) along with an entourage of bodhisattvas and celestial nymphs ride in on a grand cloud. The bodhisattva Jizō (Skt. Kṣitigarbha) and the Wisdom King Fudō Myōō (Skt. Acala) appear in the foreground at the left and right respectively, and there is a Jeweled Pagoda (hōtō) in the upper left. Paintings on the theme of Miroku’s Descent in this mode became widespread primarily in Nara from the Kamakura period (1185–1333) and on.
TANIGUCHI KoseiEnglish by Mary Lewine
Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, p.332, no.211.

