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Bishamonten, the Guardian of the North


Bishamonten ryûzô
毘沙門天立像 一躯
Japanese
late Heian period
late 11th century–12th centuries

Medium/Technique Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) with polychrome and gold; joined woodblock construction
Dimensions Height of figure: 169 cm (66 9/16 in.)
Width of figure: 96.5 cm (38 in.)
Depth of figure: 45.7 cm (18 in.)

Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.11409.1-2
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAsia
ClassificationsSculpture

Catalogue Raisonné Kajima Foundation MFA cat. 1 (Japanese ed. 1997, English ed. 1998), ch. II (Buddhist & Shinto sculp.), no. 26
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850 - d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: August 3, 1911)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.