Sun Bodhisattva (Nikkō Bosatsu)
c. 800
Maker Unknown
Japanese Art
Sun Bodhisattva (Nikkō Bosatsu), c. 800. Japan, Heian period (794–1185). Japanese nutmeg-yew wood with traces of color and gold; overall: 46.7 cm (18 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1961.48 Bodhisattvas are beings who have attained enlightenment but delay entry into Buddhahood until they have fulfilled their varied vows to aid others along the path to enlightenment. The flowing robes and curving posture of this figure were inspired by Chinese Buddhist sculpture. However, the interplay of the wood grain in this single block of yew with the artist’s subtle carving is a Japanese innovation. Originally paired with the Moon Bodhisattva (Gekkō Bosatsu), this figure likely flanked a sculpture of the Medicine Master Buddha (Yakushi Nyorai). Japanese nutmeg-yew, or kaya, was used as a replacement for the unobtainable sandalwood of which small Buddhist sculptures imported from China were made.
- Maker/Artist
- Maker Unknown
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Formatted Medium
- Japanese nutmeg-yew wood with traces of color and gold
- Dimensions
- Overall: 46.7 cm (18 3/8 in.)
- Departments
- Japanese Art
- Accession Number
- 1961.48
- Credit Line
- John L. Severance Fund
- Exhibitions
- Year in Review (1961), Japanese Arts of the Heian Period, Traditions and Revisions: Themes from the History of Sculpture, The Twain Shall Meet, Object Lessons: Cleveland Creates an Art Museum, Streams and Mountains Without End: Asian Art and the Legacy of Sherman E. Lee at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Rinpa (琳派) (Japanese gallery rotation) 235, <em>Japanese Arts of the Heian Period: 794-1185</em>. Asia House Gallery, New York City, NY (October 5-December 17, 1967) and Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (January 17-February 25, 1968)., <em>One Thousand Years of Japanese Art (650-1650) from The Cleveland Museum of Art. </em>Japan House Gallery, New York, NY (March 19-May 17, 1981).
- Rights Statement
- CC0
- Museum Location
- 235B Japanese
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