Scenes of Punishment in the Buddhist Hells

This monochromatic print is organized into distinct scenes set within stylized clouds. In the upper register, a demon suspends a naked figure from a cross-shaped wooden frame while another demon observes; above them, a figure hangs from a banner. In the lower register, a horned demon operates a large frame saw against a figure held between wooden planks, while a small group of naked, seated figures waits nearby. The figures are drawn in a traditional East Asian woodblock style, characterized by fluid ink lines and expressive, grotesque features on the demons.

This image is a didactic illustration of the Ten Kings of Hell (Diyu), a central concept in East Asian Buddhist eschatology where souls are judged and punished for transgressions during life. These depictions were frequently used in popular tracts and vernacular literature to encourage moral behavior through the visual depiction of karmic retribution.