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
Museum record:
View original
Palette