Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)

Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)

Kaikei

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The bodhisattva who relieves those suffering in hell, Jizō Bosatsu (Sanskrit: Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha) attends Amida Buddha as he delivers the pious to the Western Paradise and answers the prayers of all living beings. He is represented here in his usual attitude, with a shaved head and wearing the robes of a Buddhist monk. His right hand grasps a staff (shakujō), which he shakes to awaken humans from their delusions; his left hand most likely held a wish-granting jewel (hōju no tama), signifying the bestowal of blessings. An inscription on the interior of the figure identifies this as a work by Kaikei, one of the two leading sculptors of the early Kamakura period.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)

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.