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Gozanze Myo-o

A work made of wood with polychromy.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wood with polychromy.

Date:

1680

Artist:

Nakabayashi Gennai
Japanese, active 1650/1700

About this artwork

This sculpture depicts Gozanze Myo-o, a four-faced, multi-limb deity, trampling Daijizaiten and his consort, Uma, the gods of unruly human passion. The figure belonged to an ensemble of five sculptures arranged within the sanctuary of an Esoteric Buddhist temple. The group was known collectively as the Godai Myo-o (Five Great Lords of Light), and together the sculptures symbolize the rage against all threats to Buddhism and all obstacles to enlightenment. Such icons were introduced to Japan from China by the monk Kukai in the ninth century, and they were used in ceremonies to bless and protect the nation.

Status

On View, Gallery 104

Department

Arts of Asia

Artist

Nakabayashi Gennai

Title

Gozanze Myo-o

Place

Japan (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1675–1685

Medium

Wood with polychromy

Dimensions

107.5 × 64 × 47 cm (42 3/8 × 26 3/8 × 18 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Iwao Setsu

Reference Number

1992.643

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/118801/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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