Shinto Deity as a Seated Courtier

Shinto Deity as a Seated Courtier

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This figure, carved from a single piece of wood, represents a Shinto deity (kami) in the form of a Heian-period courtier. Around this time, divinity was conferred on the imperial court such that certain aristocrats, once deceased, were deified and venerated as kami. Some of them were responsible for the safety and stability of important clans. Despite the figure’s insect damage (common in Shinto statues from this period), its exposed wood grain—centered on the face—gives the work a dramatic effect.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shinto Deity as a Seated CourtierShinto Deity as a Seated CourtierShinto Deity as a Seated CourtierShinto Deity as a Seated CourtierShinto Deity as a Seated Courtier

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.