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

Object Information
  • 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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