Bidspirit auction | Japanese Painting with Zao Gongen

Japanese Painting with Zao Gongen Deity Motif - Japanese Painting with Zao Gongen Deity Motif Japan, 19th century. Paper, ink painting. Dimensions: 46.5 × 19 cm. Framed under glass, frame dimensions: 50 × 34.3 cm. Depiction of the god Zao Gongen in the center, surrounded by numerous other deities. Condition: Traces of age, browned, missing areas and three small wormholes in the upper right. Zao Gongen is the main deity of the unique Japanese Shugendo tradition. His formal name is Kongo Zao Gongen or Kongo Zao Bosatsu. It is an exclusively Japanese figure. The most famous place of worship for Zao Gongen is located in Kinpusen-ji Temple in Yoshino city. The name ''Kongo Zao'' stands for the embodiment of ultimate, indestructible truth and at the same time implies the meaning ''King who rules everything''. The term Gongen refers to the concept of Japanese syncretic religion, where Buddhist deities appear through the names and forms of indigenous Shinto gods. It is believed that Zao Gongen unites the powers of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, various deities, heavenly beings, and divine spirits of heaven and earth within himself.