Shinto Deities
Unknown Artist
900s
Medium
wood, with traces of polychromy
Dimensions
50.3 × 38.1 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Accession Number
1978.3
About this artwork
These sculptures represent kami, the name for deities associated with the Japanese religious tradition known as Shinto. They are said to have originally been created for the Usa Hachiman shrine in Oita on the island of Kyushu. Usa Hachiman Shrine houses four main kami: Hime Okami, who assists those engaged in agriculture and sea travel; the legendary 5th-century emperor Ojin deified as the kami Hachiman; Empress Jingu; and the kami of Mount Kawara, who aids copper miners. The identities of these...