Zaō Gongen

Cleveland Museum of Art

Zaō Gongen

Date
1200s
Medium
wood
Culture
Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333)
Department
Japanese Art
Institution
Cleveland Museum of Art
Object ID
147155

From the Cleveland Museum of Art record

Zaō Gongen is the guardian deity of Mount Kinpu in Yoshino south of Nara. Zaō appeared at the behest of En no Gyōja, who prayed for a powerful protector of the mountain. The deity was described as a combined manifestation of the Buddha Shakyamuni, Thousand-Armed Kannon, and Miroku. These three deities were viewed as the past, present, and future protectors of the world. Zaō’s appearance derives from portrayals of fierce Buddhist deities. Zaō Gongen wears the pelt of a large feline, the face of which is near his knee.

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Provenance
?–1973: (Setsu Gatodo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) | 1973–: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Part of a LinkedCulture topic

  • Representative object from the topic Buddhist and Hindu Iconography
    Buddhist and Hindu Iconography

    These objects are connected by their representation of sacred figures and deities from Buddhist and Hindu religious traditions across Asian cultures, including sculptures, paintings, and ritual objects depicting buddhas,

    183 objects from 5 institutions

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