Lute, Sword, Snake, and Parasol—The Formation of the Standard Iconography of the Four Heavenly Kings in Chinese Buddhist Art

The Four Heavenly Kings, Sida Tianwang 四大天王, are the guardians of the four quarters of the world in Buddhism. They are among the most frequently represented protective deities in Buddhist art across different traditions. In their standard iconographies developed in China popular during the Ming and...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tianshu Zhu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-06-01
Series:Religions
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/6/798