The Bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteshvara), Japan, mid-11th century, Heian period (794–1185). Cypress wood; single-block construction (ichiboku-zukuri), H. 150.2 cm. Purchase, Bequest of Mary Stillman Harkness, by exchange; Bequest of Henrie Jo Barth; and funds from various donors, 2021. The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York (2021.116a)

Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion, is one of the most popular and frequently depicted deities in Japanese Buddhism. Kannon grants deliverance from suffering to anyone who calls upon him. Here, he is shown in flowing robes draped with sashes. The sculpture’s surface was originally decorated with layers of lacquer, pigments, and likely gold leaf. Today, its cypress core is completely visible.