CELESTIAL GENERALS

A Heavenly General (One of the Junishinshō)

A Heavenly General (One of the Junishinshō)

Deity
Celestial Generals
Sculpture Type
Wood Sculpture
Date / Period
1200s
Institution
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection
Japanese Art
Medium / Material
Wood with lacquer, color, gold, and crystal eyes
Dimensions
117.2 cm (46 1/8 in.)
Accession Number
1988.53
Source
A Heavenly General (One of the Junishinshō). 1200s. Wood with lacquer, color, gold, and crystal eyes. The Cleveland Museum of Art. John L. Severance Fund. 1988.53

Description

This figure is one of 12 generals made to protect a statue of the Medicine Buddha, an important healing figure in Buddhism. He wears Chinese armor. This shows that Japanese artists often drew from Chinese art for their designs. They believed that using these existing models gave the statue powerful spiritual properties. Japanese sculptors linked each general to a Chinese zodiac animal. The horse on this general’s head corresponds to the Year of the Horse and a time of day associated with the horse.

How is this general similar or different from other protectors or guardians you might know?