Thousand-armed Kannon in Portable Shrine

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The doors of this portable shrine open onto a sculpted wood figure of the Thousand-armed Kannon (Japanese: Senjū Kannon; Sanskrit: Sahasrabhuja). Represented standing at the center of an elegantly decorated tripartite structure, Kannon emerges from gilt lotus flowers. The deity’s front hands are joined together, while numerous other arms reach out from his body, extending Kannon’s all-encompassing compassion. Traditionally represented holding various instruments and/or with an eye on each palm, the Thousand-armed Kannon grew in popularity in Japan as a bodhisattva capable of preventing and curing physical ailments, such as blindness. On the doors on either side of the central sculpture are additional painted figures from the Buddhist pantheon; their elegant, vividly colored, floating garments are slightly deteriorated.

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art