Portable Shine (zushi) with Batō Kannon, the Horse-headed Bodhisattva of Compassion
Not on view
This gorgeous lacquer shrine protects a miniature statue of Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, who can appear in six different incarnations, one for each of the six realms of existence (rokudō). The multiple faces and arms are signs of the bodhisattva’s supernatural powers. The outwardly fierce, horse-headed Kannon was popular in Japanese warrior society because of his role as protector of animals, especially horses.
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