Pendant Plaque with Image of Kannon (Avalokitesvara), Kamakura period, dated 1275 (Important Cultural Property)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 13
February 28, 2012 (Tue) - May 20, 2012 (Sun)
Kyozo are mirrors or panels similar to bronze mirrors, with engravings or paintings of Buddhist or Shinto deities. Panels with three-dimensional representations of these deities are known as kakebotoke. These items were considered sacred and were hung up as objects of worship. Kyozo appeared in the Heian period in around the 9th century. In general their shape gradually became more three-dimensional throughout the Heian period, with kakebotoke becoming dominant from the Kamakura period onwards. The exhibits will highlight this change of form, as well as metalworking techniques of kyozo and kakebotoke such as engraving, casting, and forging.
Current exhibit includes:
Mirror with an Image of Eleven-headed Kannon (Ekadasamukha Avalokitesvara) in Hair-line Engraving, Autumn grasses and birds on the back, Heian period, dated 1159 (Important Cultural Property)
Pendant Plaque with Image of Kannon (Avalokitesvara), Kamakura period, dated 1275 (Important Cultural Property)
Plaque with Cast Image of Zao Gongen, Excavated at Mt. Kinpusen, Yoshino-gun, Nara, Heian period, 12th century (Lent by Ominesanji, Nara, Important Cultural Property)