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Fudo Myo-o

A wooden sculpture of an angry looking diety, holding a sword in his right hand and ope in his left, sitting cross-legged on an stylized rock formation
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A wooden sculpture of an angry looking diety, holding a sword in his right hand and ope in his left, sitting cross-legged on an stylized rock formation

Date:

13th century

Artist:

Japan

About this artwork

The name Fudo Myo-o means “the immovable or unshakable one.” He is one of five myo-o, or lords of light, whose threatening appearance guards the Law of Buddhism. He is equipped to guide the spiritual traveler past temptation on the path to enlightenment. Fudo’s bulging eyes, piercing stare, and protruding fangs express the intensity of his wrath against evil. Seated on a stylized rock formation that symbolizes his steadfastness, he once held his attributes, a rope and sword (these have been removed for conservation), which were used to subdue evil forces and to cut through the ignorance that is the source of suffering. This finely modeled figure reflects the highly detailed, realistic direction taken by Japanese sculptors in the Kamakura period (1185–1333).

Status

On View, Gallery 103

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Fudo 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.

1199–1399

Medium

Wood with polychromy and gilt-bronze accessories

Dimensions

62.3 × 36.9 × 34.3 cm (24 1/2 × 14 1/2 × 13 1/2 in.); O base: H.: 41.6 cm (16 3/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Joseph and Helen Regenstein Foundation

Reference Number

1958.321

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.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/8085/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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