Cleveland Museum of Art

Water-Moon Kannon (Suigetsu Kannon)

Date

1868–1912

Medium

hanging scroll, ink, gold, silver, color, and cut gold-leaf on silk

Culture

Japan, Meiji period (1868–1912)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Kannon represents a primary figure of benevolence and compassion in the Buddhist pantheon. Identified early in Buddhist texts as a close attendant to the Buddha, by the 700s Kannon's popularity soared to such an extent in China, Korea, and Japan that the bodhisattva was often worshipped independently. Here at the lower left, Kannon is depicted with the child Zenzai Dōji (Sakskrit: Sudhana), a wealthy boy who, according to the final chapter of the Flower Garland Sutra , visited Kannon's abode Fudaraka (Sanskrit: Potalaka) during a long journey to learn the bodhisattva path.

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