Sculpture
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The Guardian God Bishamonten, Previously kept at Nakagawa Temple, Nara, Heian period, ca. 1162 (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Mr. Kawabata Ryūshi)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 11
September 20, 2023 (Wed) - December 24, 2023 (Sun)Japan has three main traditions of sculpture: Buddhist deities, Shinto deities, and portraits of people. Buddhism was introduced to Japan from the Korean Peninsula in the 6th century, together with sculptures of Buddhist deities. These sculptures were made primarily for worship. Making a sculpture was also an “act of spiritual merit” that would help one’s prayers to be answered.
In contrast, Shinto is the indigenous religion of Japan. Since ancient times, people believed that Shinto deities dwell in natural features like mountains and rivers, and rarely depicted them as humanlike sculptures. Even when a Shinto shrine had a sculpture for worship, the priests usually kept it hidden from view out of respect.
Some portrait sculptures were also worshipped, as they showed deified monks or samurai. Others were made to remember the dead and pray for their salvation. This gallery features works mainly from the Heian (794–1192) and Kamakura (1192–1333) periods, when many of Japan’s most admired sculptures were created.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | The Guardian God Bishamonten | Previously kept at Nakagawa Temple, Nara | Heian period, ca. 1162 | Gift of Mr. Kawabata Ryūshi, C-1869 | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | The Guardian God Bishamonten | Heian period, 9th century | Lent by Dōjōji Temple, Wakayama | |||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | The Bodhisattva Monju Riding His Lion, Accompanied by Followers | By Kōen, Passed down at Kōfukuji Temple, Nara | Kamakura period, 1273 | C-1854 |