Japan, late Edo period (1615-1868)
Finely cast, seated in dhyanasana on a separately cast lotus throne raised on a tiered foliate base, wearing a loosely draped robe opening at the chest, the primary hands make the gesture of bato-in (‘mudra of the horse mouth’), clasped together with the middle fingers raised, the secondary arms radiating around the body. Each face is carved with a wrathful expression, furious eyes below furrowed brows centered by a third eye, the mouth agape revealing sharp fangs, and the flaming locks nestling a horse head. The kohai inset to the back of the lotus throne and cast with a central openworked flowerhead above a circular aperture, surrounded by thick swirling clouds.
HEIGHT 13.6 cm (the figure), 33 cm (total)
WEIGHT 1,057 g (the figure), 4,579 g (total)
Condition: Good condition with expected wear, minor losses, repairs to the arms.
The Horse-Headed Kannon is a fusion of Buddhism and the religious reverence for horses common to India. The iconography of the Horse-Headed Kannon was transmitted to Japan during the Nara period, when it was believed that the deity could cure illness and intervene in issues related to water, such as accidents at sea. From the 16th century on, it was an ardently held belief that the deity was a protector of horses.
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