Hachiman in the Guise of a Buddhist Monk, 12th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Japanese cypress with polychromeexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.266a,b
On View in Gallery 220expand_more
Buddhism was introduced to Japan through Korea after 500 and early Buddhists immediately set off to reconcile the new, foreign religion with the indigenous belief system of Shintō. According to the theory of honji suijaku (Shintō/Buddhist syncretism), Shintō kami (deities) were temporary embodiments of Buddhist deities on this earth, and specifically manifested themselves in Japan to save humans.
Hachiman was a kami (deity) of war and archery. According to Shintō belief, Emperor Ōjin (270-310) became Hachiman after death. The worshipping of Hachiman was popular among samurai who traced their lineage back to the Emperor. Wearing a kesa, or wrap, over a robe and with a shaven head, Hachiman presents himself here as a Buddhist monk, reflecting the merging of different beliefs in one.
This sculpture was once fully painted, and some traces of pigment—like the white skin, green on the robe, yellow and black on the kesa—remains on the surface.
Details
- Title
- Hachiman in the Guise of a Buddhist Monk
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.266a,b
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 565
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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