Welcoming Descent of Jizō
Unknown Artist
1200s
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink, color, gold, and cut gold on silk
Dimensions
120.7 × 51.4 cm · image: 59 × 33.2 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
John L. Severance Fund
Accession Number
1983.75
About this artwork
This painting depicts the bodhisattva Jizō—an enlightened being who refuses entry into nirvana in order to aid other beings in their quest for enlightenment—in the guise of a monk carrying a wish-fulfilling jewel and a golden staff with a finial adorned with jingling rings. He descends with each of his feet balanced atop a lotus pedestal borne by clouds to rescue a suffering believer who has called out for his help. Images of the Welcoming Descent of Jizō may be related to the Kasuga Shrine, whe...