National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

　　This painting represents an image of Jizo (Skt. Kṣitigarbha) standing on a flying cloud and holding a sacred jewel (hoju) in its left hand and a priest’s staff (shakujo) in the right hand, which is a common feature of Jizo. However, the lotus-shaped pedestal under the foot splits into two sides (right and left) and uses different colors for each side, emphasizing movement. In addition, being slender, tall, young and intelligent, the bodhisattva has a sensuous attraction. Each part of the clothing has been finely painted in various, mainly blue green colors and decorated with delicate patterns created by the combined use of cut gold leaves (kirikane) and gold paint (kindei). The features give the painting a gorgeous but calm atmosphere and the style represents the features of Buddhist paintings in the late Kamakura period (1185–1333). Jizo have been symbolized as important members of the Amida’s welcoming descent since the Heian period (794–1185), however, faith in Jizo as a Buddhist image of rescuing six realms (riku do) became stronger in the Kamakura period and are often painted independently in the welcoming descent style (raigo). Because some paintings that depicted Shinto deities appearing in their Buddhist form (honji butsu) in the third shrine of Kasuga Taisha Shrine as a Jizo using the same style as this painting have been found in the Southern Capital (Nanto), there is a possibility that this painting was also painted under the faith of the Pure Land in Nanto.