Tosiwang, Ninth King of Hell

Tosiwang, Ninth King of Hell

late 13th century - mid 14th century
Country
Korea
Object
painting
Medium
ink and color on silk
Accession Number
1982.104
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Bunker
Tosiwang, Ninth King of Hell. late 13th century - mid 14th century. ink and color on silk. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Bunker. 1982.104.
Dimensions
mount height: 61 in, 154.94 cm; mount width: 22 7/8 in, 58.1025 cm; image height: 24 3/8 in, 61.9125 cm; image width: 17 3/4 in, 45.085 cm; overall width: 24 5/8 in, 62.5475 cm
Department
Arts of Asia
Collection
Arts of Asia
Tosiwang, Ninth King of Hell Korea 1300s, Goryeo period Ink and color on silk Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Bunker 1982.104 This painting shows the Ninth King of Hell, Tosiwang or "King of the Capital," presiding over the gruesome torturing of a sinner. It was one in a set of the Ten Kings of Hell now dispersed in museums and private collections. Such frightening representations of the Ten Kings of Hell would have been prominently displayed in temples to remind the Buddhist devoid of the horrors of hell and the unrelenting punishment of sinners. This cult of the underworld developed in China during the Five Dynasties (907-960), a time of great destruction and suffering, and was introduced over the following four centuries to both Korea and Japan.
Known Provenance
Purportedly collection of (Harry G. C. Packard) [1914-1991], Tokyo, Japan [1]. (John W. Dwyer III) [1924-2005], San Francisco; Collection of Mr. and Mrs. John B. [1926-2005] and Emma [1930-2021] Bunker, Denver, CO by 1971 [2]; Gifted to the Denver Art Museum, 1982. [1] Published and illustrated in Keizaburo Mizuno, "Ten Kings Paintings,"" Kokka, 70.4, no. 829, April 1961 [2]; On loan to the Denver Art Museum, 1971 - 1975 Provenance research is on-going. Please e-mail provenance@denverartmuseum.org, if you have questions, or if you have additional information to share with us.
Exhibition History
  • Linking Asia: Art, Trade, and Devotion, Denver Art Museum, December 17, 2017 - April 1, 2018