Japanese

This figure’s shaved head indicates that it is the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha, known in Japan as Jizo, the guardian of children, travelers, and firemen. Originally, the work may have been part of a full-body portrayal, with Jizo dressed in a monk’s robe. Bodhisattvas postpone their own enlightenment in order to help others attain salvation, and can, like Buddhas, be figures of worship.