Cleveland Museum of Art

Willow-and-Moon Kannon (Yōryū Kannon)

Gakuō Zōkyū

Date: c. 1500
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Culture: Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)
Department: Japanese Art
Institution: Cleveland Museum of Art

This painting of Kannon, a Buddhist deity of mercy and compassion with many forms. is attributed to Gakuō Zōkyū, a well-known Zen monk who specialized in ink painting. Kannon looks at the moon reflected in the water, a symbol of impermanence, and holds a willow branch and water vase symbolizing healing and purification. Kannon is a bodhisattva—a being capable of enlightenment, but who delays it in order to help other beings.

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