Male and Female Shinto Deities

Male and Female Shinto Deities

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pair of Shinto deities is represented in human form, wearing Heian court dress to suggest sacred and secular authority. These figures were likely produced in connection with the ancient court practice of honoring the spirit ancestors of aristocratic families as a reward for their political and cultural contributions. The square faces, stout bodies, and deeply carved robes resemble the stylized rendering of early Heian-period Buddhist sculpture.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Male and Female Shinto DeitiesMale and Female Shinto DeitiesMale and Female Shinto DeitiesMale and Female Shinto DeitiesMale and Female Shinto Deities

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.