Thursday, July 31
1:00–3:00 p.m. PT
Speaker: Rachel Quist, PhD, Assistant Professor of Art History at Case Western Reserve University
Virtual Event

In 907, a group of eight Buddhist icons was commissioned for Daigoji, a temple atop Mount Kasatori in Kyoto, following an imperial decree from Emperor Daigo. This lecture examines how these sculptures—a triad of the Medicine Buddha (Yakushi Nyorai) with two attendants and a pentad of the Five Great Wisdom Kings (Godai Myōō)—functioned as agents of ritual protection for the emperor, drawing on longstanding ties between these deities, sacred mountains, and healing waters. Drawing on temple records, ritual precedents, and imperial diaries, Dr. Rachel Quist explores how Daigo’s bond with Daigoji shaped both his legacy and the political-religious landscape of his reign.

Speaker bio: Dr. Rachel Quist is an Assistant Professor of Art History at Case Western Reserve University, whose research focuses on Japanese Buddhist visual culture. She investigates the interactions between Buddhist icons, their worshipers, and their natural environs. Her first manuscript project examines visual culture at Daigoji, illuminating the centrality of sculptural icons within the complex interplay of medicinal rituals, imperial politics, and the cosmic worldview of premodern Japan.

Please note, this session will be conducted virtually via Zoom.

Save your spot by clicking on this link. All participants will be sent the Zoom link via confirmation email with instructions once you secure your place.

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Sponsored by the Asian Arts Council.

Featured at top right: Yakushi Nyorai triad (detail), Daigoji Reihōkan Museum, Daigoji, Kyoto