Kozuka with the Buddha

Description The figure on this kozuka bears a strong resemblance to 13th-century paintings of the historical Buddha made in both China and Japan. In these paintings, Buddha is shown coming down from a mountain after six years of fasting. The figure on the kozuka can be recognized as Buddha because of his robes, the slight protuberance at the top of his head and his halo. The kozuka is signed on the lower edge.

Provenance Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.

Inscriptions [Signature] 乙柳軒　味墨; [Translation] Otsuryûken Miboku

Credit Acquired by Henry Walters