男神坐像|Shinto Deity as a Seated Courtier

Unknown

11th–12th century · Wood; single-block (ichiboku-zukuri) construction, with traces of red and black pigment · Asian Art

This figure, carved from a single piece of wood, represents a Shinto deity (kami) in the form of a Heian-period courtier. Around this time, divinity was conferred on the imperial court such that certain aristocrats, once deceased, were deified and venerated as kami. Some of them were responsible for the safety and stability of important clans. Despite the figure’s insect damage (common in Shinto statues from this period), its exposed wood grain—centered on the face—gives the work a dramatic effect.

Artist

Unknown

Date

11th–12th century

Medium

Wood; single-block (ichiboku-zukuri) construction, with traces of red and black pigment

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2015