Standing Figure of Buddhist Guardian
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Object Label
This relatively small figure of a fierce warrior likely depicts one of twelve heavenly generals who were installed in a circle to guard an image of the Buddha of Healing (Yakushi Nyorai) in a Buddhist temple. Dressed in Chinese-style armor, he held a spear or trident, warding off anyone who might threaten the Buddhist faith. An inscription—on the tenon attaching the bottom of one foot to its pedestal—suggests that the image was carved by a sculptor named Joga, whose name also appears on sculptures made for Kōfuku-ji, a major Buddhist temple in Nara.
Caption
Standing Figure of Buddhist Guardian, 13th–14th century. Wood sculpture with traces of polychromy, 23 7/16 x 11 5/8 in. (59.5 x 29.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Carll H. de Silver Fund and Museum Collection Fund, 61.1. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 61.1_front_PS6.jpg)
Collection
Collection
Title
Standing Figure of Buddhist Guardian
Date
13th–14th century
Period
Kamakura Period
Geography
Place made: Japan
Medium
Wood sculpture with traces of polychromy
Classification
Dimensions
23 7/16 x 11 5/8 in. (59.5 x 29.5 cm)
Credit Line
Carll H. de Silver Fund and Museum Collection Fund
Accession Number
61.1
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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