Locket with Two Buddhist Deities
(Japan and Korea )
This locket features two Buddhist deities with different functions. On the left is the "1,000-armed Kannon" (Avalokiteshvara), symbolizing compassion for all living creatures. On the right is a "King of Desire" named Aizen Myoo, with a ferocious facial expression. The lion head over his forehead stands for his capacity to transform lust into pure love. This locket, made to be carried by a Buddhist priest, is likely to have survived because it was part of a sacred deposit inside a large wooden image in a temple.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Wakai Kanesaburo, Centennial Exhibition, Philadelphia, 1876 (?); William T. / Henry Walters Collection, Baltimore; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
1876 | Centennial Exhibition Philadelphia. Memorial Hall, Philadelphia, Philadelphia. |
Geographies
Japan (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 2 1/2 (6.3 cm); Open W: 4 3/4 × D: 1/2 in. (12 × 1.2 cm); Closed W: 2 3/8 × D: 15/16 in. (6 × 2.4 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by William T. or Henry Walters
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
61.278