Amaterasus head gear in the Butsuzō zui

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Scheid, Bernhard

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Jun 23, 2025, 12:39:25 PM6/23/25
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Dear list,

in a 1796 edition of Butsuzō zui, which is available, for instance, via Ritsumeikan ARC, I spotted an image of Tenshō Kōtaijin 天照皇大神 (Amaterasu) in a quite unusual dress (especially head gear) as shown in the attached image. I am not sure whether to qualify this figure as a (young) male or female. Can anyone help and perhaps explain the iconography or at least the hat? Btw., the edition also contains an image of Uhō Dōji 雨宝童子, in the usual iconography of a young boy with long hair, who is also identified with Tenshō Daijin/Amaterasu, so this figure is not Uhō Dōji. Interestingly, in the original 1690 edition of Butsuzō zui, Tenshō Kōtaijin is clearly represented as a conventional male kami in sokutai attire.  

Many thanks in advance

Bernhard

 

****************

Dr. Bernhard Scheid

Austrian Academy of Sciences

Institute for the Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia (IKGA)

Office (new!): Georg-Coch-Platz 2, 4 floor, 1010 Vienna, Austria

Post address: Dr.-Ignaz-Seipl-Platz 2, 1010 Vienna, Austria

Tel: +43-1-51581-6424

Internet: www.oeaw.ac.at/ikga

 

tensho kodaijin butsuzozui 1796 chicago ritsumeikan.jpg

Michael Pye

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Jul 3, 2025, 2:05:36 PM7/3/25
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Dear Bernhard,
I'm sorry i can't answer your question as posed.
However there may be a clue in that in the image you cited, the honji
of the goddess is declared to be Dainichi Nyorai. Hence the kind of
things that Shingon adepts wear might be relevant in your search.
Perhaps Mikkyo specialists will speak up.
In the meantime, can anybody tell, off-hand, whether the first
edition of the Butsuzō zui had sketches of Shinto divinities? Or were
these brought in later?
I found an article by Sherry Fowler on Butsuzō zui, but it seems
to be mainly on its western reception. Does anyone know of an article
on its original provenance, relation to established Buddhist
authorities of the time, etc.?
Michael Pye

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Professor of the Study of Religions (em.), University of Marburg, Germany

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