Twelve Gods

Takuma Shōga was a Japanese Buddhist painter from the 12th century known for his religious paintings (butsuga). He created a new style that blended Buddhist art with Chinese Southern Sung influences. Shōga painted for temples and noblemen, with his most significant work being a series of "Twelve Gods" screens for the Tō Temple in 1191. The surviving painting of the Moon deity from this series showcases Shōga's style, characterized by pale colors, subtle patterns, and a strong emphasis on brushwork. This deity is depicted standing in profile, highlighting the graceful lines of the robes, a departure from earlier artistic conventions. The "Twelve Gods" are a type of fierce protective deity in Japanese Buddhist mythology known as Myō-ō.12