Cleveland Museum of Art

Seated Zenki

Date

1400s

Medium

wood with pigment

Culture

Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The axe-wielding red Zenki, and the vase-holding, bamboo backpack-wearing green Koki are both under the mystical control of the monk, En no Ozunu (legendarily 634–701), also known as En no Gyōja, or “En the Ascetic,” considered to have founded Shugendō, a style of religious practice focused on performing austerities in mountainous settings. A popular Japanese comic named Zenki was inspired by the figure seen here wielding a weapon.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.