The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 20, 2024

Prince Shōtoku at Age Two (Shōtoku Taishi)

Prince Shōtoku at Age Two (Shōtoku Taishi)

early 1300s
(1185–1333)
Wood with lacquer, color, and rock-crystal inlaid eyes
Overall: 68.6 cm (27 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James Campbell Weir in memory of Dr. and Mrs. William Hawksley Weir 1989.76
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

Shotoku Taishi had several titles. One translates to "the prince of the stable door" because he was said to have been born in the imperial stables.

Description

This sculpture depicts Shōtoku Taishi (about 574–622), prince regent of Japan, in a pose indicating a particular episode from legends about his life. Shōtoku is widely recognized as a major force in the introduction of Buddhism to Japan, and a robust religious cult devoted to the prince had developed by the late 13th century. This idealized portrait commemorates the moment when the precocious prince, aged two, faced east, placed his palms together in a gesture known as gasshō, and intoned the name of the Buddha, all without having been taught the practice. The incident foreshadowed his future role as a champion of Buddhism.
  • The remaining fragmentary paint layers on this lacquered wood sculpture indicate that the garment was red, the skin was a pale color, and the hair was painted a different, as-yet unknown color. Visual examination shows that the wood sculpture was first covered with a textile layer adhered with lacquer, then additional layers of lacquer (some possibly mixed with other materials), before being painted. X-radiographs show that the body is carved of a solid piece of wood, with separate solid sections for the arms, attached with internal tenons. The head is also a separate section, cut into two pieces that are hollowed out on the interior, with a tenon that extends down into the neck. The hollow head allowed for the insertion of reverse-painted crystal eyes (gyokugan), held in place with a block of wood attached to the interior of the face with wooden pegs. There is likely a layer of a soft light-colored material such as paper directly behind the crystal lenses. A section of drapery behind the figure's feet is a replacement of an unknown date.
  • ?–1989
    Mr. and Mrs. James Campbell Weir, Cleveland, OH, given to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1989–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Turner, Evan H. “The Year in Review: Selections 1989.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art, vol. 77, no. 2, 1990, pp. 38–78. Reproduced: no. 225, p. 51, 79 www.jstor.org
    Perkins, Larry David. Intimate Rituals and Personal Devotions: Spiritual Art Through the Ages. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida, Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, 2000. Reproduced: fig. 35, pp. 30, 74
    Grossman, Nancy, James T. Ulak, Marjorie Williams, and Laurence Channing. Art of Japan: Masterpieces from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2005. Reproduced: p. 47
  • Japanese Gallery 235 Rotation - July 2017-January 2018. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (July 15, 2017-January 2, 2018).
    Intimate Rituals and Personal Devotions: Spiritual Art Through the Ages. Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, FL (organizer) (July 16, 2000-January 14, 2001).
    Asian Autumn: Masterpieces from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1992)
    The Year in Review for 1989. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 6-April 15, 1990).
  • {{cite web|title=Prince Shōtoku at Age Two (Shōtoku Taishi)|url=false|author=|year=early 1300s|access-date=20 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1989.76