Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Jizō, the Bodhisattva of the Earth Store

late 12th–mid-13th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 224
Here, the bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Kshitigarbha) takes the guise of an itinerant monk. He holds in his left hand a wish-fulfilling jewel and in his right a monk’s staff topped with six rings that jingle to announce his arrival. Jizō’s compassionate presence illuminates the righteous way from hell to paradise, and he saves from harm those who call out to him.

The beautiful flowing movement of the garment helps date this work to the early Kamakura period. The lower half of the sculpture bears traces of richly colored paint and cut-gold decoration, providing a rare glimpse of the work’s original appearance.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 地蔵菩薩像
  • Title: Jizō, the Bodhisattva of the Earth Store
  • Period: Kamakura period (1185–1333)
  • Date: late 12th–mid-13th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Wood with lacquer, gold leaf, cut gold leaf (kirikane), and color
  • Dimensions: Figure with base: H. 71 1/2 in. (181.6 cm); W. 28 1/2 in. (72.4 cm); D. 22 1/2 in. (57.4 cm)
    Figure with base and staff: H. 74 1/4 in. (188.6 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1918
  • Object Number: 18.93
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Finial of a Buddhist Monk’s Staff (Shakujō)
Accession Number: 07.16
Guardian Figure (Ni-Ten)
11th century
Jizō, Bodhisattva of the Earth Store (Kshitigarbha)
14th century
Armor (<i>Yoroi</i>) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358), Iron, lacquer, leather, silk, gilt copper, Japanese
Armor (Yoroi) of Ashikaga Takauji (1305–1358)
Japanese
early 14th century
Fudō Myōō, the Immovable Wisdom King (Achala Vidyaraja), Kaikei Japanese, Japanese cypress with lacquer, color, gold, cut gold leaf (kirikane), and inlaid crystal eyes, Japan
Fudō Myōō, the Immovable Wisdom King (Achala Vidyaraja)
Kaikei
early 13th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.