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Zaō Gongen
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Zaō Gongen is the guardian deity of Mount Kinpu in Yoshino south of Nara. Zaō appeared at the behest of En no Gyōja, who prayed for a powerful protector of the mountain. The deity was described as a combined manifestation of the Buddha Shakyamuni, Thousand-Armed Kannon, and Miroku. These three deities were viewed as the past, present, and future protectors of the world. Zaō’s appearance derives from portrayals of fierce Buddhist deities.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineZaō Gongen (蔵王権現像), 1200s. Japan, Kamakura period (1185–1333). Wood; average: 106.7 cm (42 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1973.105
