Artwork preview

Portable Shine (zushi) with Batō Kannon, the Horse-headed Bodhisattva of Compassion

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Gold-colored, tri-fold, portable shrine. The shrine is cylindrical, with a domed top. Two exterior panels on either side are gold, rectangular, and adorned with green and white enamel depicting lotus flowers and leaves; the exterior panels are open, on either side of the shrine. Inside the shrine is a gold-colored figure of a multi-headed, horse-headed bodhisattva sitting on a lotus flower atop a multi-tiered base. The figure wears a crown. The background of the shrine is gold-colored filigree. The shrine has a dark base with gold-colored embellishments. The background behind the shrine transitions from dark at the top to light at the bottom.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1620
Medium
Fruitwood with lacquer, pigments, gold, metal fittings
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
500 × 625 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette