Shinto Deity as a Seated Courtier

11th–12th century

Not on view

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.

Artwork Details

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Exhibition History

男神坐像
Title: Shinto Deity as a Seated Courtier
Period: Heian period (794–1185)
Date: 11th–12th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Wood; single-block (ichiboku-zukuri) construction, with traces of red and black pigment
Dimensions: H. 18 in. (45.7 cm); W. 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm)
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2015
Object Number: 2015.5
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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