Zaō Gongen
Unknown Artist
This is a fragment from a mirror called a kakebotoke. A number of kakebotoke featuring Zaō Gongen, the guardian deity of Mount Kinpu, were recovered from the mountain. They would have been made and buried there as a devotional act, a means of consecrating the site, and to preserve their power for the future.
Credit: The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
1100s
Gilt bronze with repoussé and incised details
25.8 x 17.8 cm
1986.47
Image and text: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023
Where you'll find this
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Permanent collection