Object Title:
Kannon with a Willow Twig
Date:
1600 s late
Artist:
Anonymous
Medium:
Woodblock print Technique: Woodblock print; ink on paper
Credit Line:
Purchase, 1954 (13444)
Object Number:
13444
Description:
This woodblock print depicts the bodhisattva Kannon (Sk. Avalokiteshvara) standing on two lotus flowers. The androgynous figure holds in its hands a small container and a twig of a willow tree. This manifestation of Kannon specifically was believed to cure illnesses. At the top of the print is a poem written with a brush directly on the paper. This poem describes Kannon as a manifestation of Amida Buddha and mentions the “expedient methods” (Sk. upäya) through which Kannon touches all beings in the “Buddha’s ocean.” The poem is preceded by a seal reading “Nembutsu go ro ” (Prayer to the Buddha as my refuge). (from Pathway exhibition 1/29/08-)
