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Zaō Gongen
1200s
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States
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.
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Details
- Title: Zaō Gongen
- Date Created: 1200s
- Physical Dimensions: Average: 106.7 cm (42 in.)
- Provenance: (Setsu Gatodo Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art), The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Type: Sculpture
- Rights: CC0
- External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1973.105
- Medium: wood
- Fun Fact: Zaō Gongen wears the pelt of a large feline, the face of which is near his knee.
- Department: Japanese Art
- Culture: Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333)
- Credit Line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
- Collection: Japanese Art
- Accession Number: 1973.105
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