Daigensui My??, 1868, Kano H?gai, Japanese, 1828 - 1888, 29 3/8 ¡Ñ 10 9/16 in. (74.61 ¡Ñ 26.83 cm) (image), Gold paint on red silk, Japan, 19th century, This outstanding work is a hoso-e, a kind of charm used as protection against or recovery from smallpox, as red was believed to ward off plague and disaster. Usually showing a heroic figure, this painting features one of the fierce five Wisdom Kings in Esoteric Buddhism. The painting is accompanied by a letter from Kamiryo Seiju, a physician and good friend of H?gai, explaining to a priest that this painting was used in rituals as a religious icon.