Portrait of En no Gyōja
Jakusai 寂済
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
The legendary founder of a sect of mountain-dwelling religious practitioners called Shugendō, En no Gyōja is said to have lived during the seventh century on Mount Katsuragi, near the ancient capital of Nara. He is believed to have conjured Zaō Gongen of Mount Kinpusen, the guardian deity of Shugendō. In this portrait, En no Gyōja appears in his conventional hood, monk’s robe, straw mantle, and wood sandals. He is usually shown holding a vajra (thunderbolt sword) and a shakujō (jeweled staff with six rings); here, however, he bears a rosary and one of his two servant-demons has the shakujō. According to legend, En no Gyōja ordered these demons (one red and one green) to serve him. Had they refused, he had the power to bind them with a spell. The landscape suggests a high mountain with a stream and hovering clouds.
Asian Art
An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.