figure (ritual & belief: representations)

Carved wooden portrait figure of a man sitting in meditation posture with right hand raised and pointing upwards, left hand just above lap with thumb touching forefinger. It does not represent a monk but more likely was commissioned by the family of a deceased relative as a portrait in order that they could pray to heaven for him. The head is shaved and he has visible wrinkles, half-closed eyes and a smiling face. Varnished. Characters on the base read: 'Ehara-Saemon-Zou', meaning 'the likeness of Ehara Saemon' (the man's name). 510 h x 495 w x 380 d.

Collection Information

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