Cleveland Museum of Art
Gozu Tennō (Ox-Headed Plague Deity)
- Date
- 1100s
- Medium
- Wood with traces of color
- Culture
- Japan, Heian period (794–1185)
- Department
- Japanese Art
- Institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
Gozu Tennō is a deity who is capable of both bringing epidemics and dispelling them. His name is literally “Ox-Headed Celestial King.” He usually has three heads with an ox-head rising above his primary face. He sometimes holds a lasso and sword or an ax, but here holds his hands in a powerful gesture that may be designed to repel illness or promote healing. The Gion Festival in Kyoto is related to belief in Gozu Tennō.
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