Title : Kannon with a Willow Twig

Artist : Unknown

Date : 1600 s late

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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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-)

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