Panel with forty Buddhas supported by a demon

The purpose of this object is not certain. Wooden extensions on the sides and the bottom indicate that it was once attached to a base or another structure. The shape of the panel, with its curved top, is somewhat similar to that of a Buddhist tablet board (see 2006.27.46), and it probably also served as a donation to a temple to gain merit.

The panel shows forty Buddhas in three positions: reclining, meditating, and standing. The number of Buddhas on such an object could match a grouping of Buddhas in Buddhist texts (for instance, the twenty-four Buddhas of the past), but sometimes had a special meaning for a donor, for instance by relating to the donor's birth date.

The structure that holds the Buddhas is being lifted by a demon. In the stories of his life the Buddha subdues a variety of demons, and so demons may be shown in subordinate roles such as this.