Kannon
Unknown Artist
early 1200s
Medium
wood with lacquer and gold leaf
Dimensions
with base: 69.2 × 27.7 × 29 cm · without base: 59.1 × 18.8 × 28 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Ralph King
Accession Number
1919.913
About this artwork
Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, is one of the two bodhisattvas attending Amida, the Buddha of the Western Paradise. The sculpture stands on a lotus pedestal, holding a lotus dais on which the soul of the faithful is received into paradise. The use of gold was prevalent in Buddhist art during this time—it was believed that the yellow light permeated the regions of the Amida—and Amida worship prevailed throughout Japan.