Artwork Page for Seated Zenki and Koki

Details / Information for Seated Zenki and Koki

Seated Zenki and Koki

1400s

Japan, Muromachi period

(1392–1573)
View all records in artwork set
Medium
wood with pigment
Credit Line
Sundry Art - Japanese/Korean and Lillian Kern Memorial Fund 2012.40
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

A popular Japanese comic named Zenki was inspired by the figure seen here wielding a weapon.

Description

The axe-wielding red Zenki, and the vase-porting, bamboo backpack-wearing green Koki are both under the mystical control of the monk, En no Ozunu (legendarily 634–701), also known as En no Gyōja, or “En the Ascetic,” and considered to have founded Shugendō, a style of religious practice focused on performing austerities in mountainous settings.
A dark-brown wood sculpture with pigment depicts two seated, muscular figures. The figure on the left has two horns, a ribbed chest, and holds a rounded vessel. The figure on the right has red skin and hair swept upward, holding a staff with a wide blade. Both wear loincloths and have contorted expressions with furrowed brows. The weathered paint reveals light wood underneath, with patches of green and red pigment throughout.

Seated Zenki and Koki

1400s

Japan, Muromachi period (1392–1573)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Shop the CMA Store

Shop More Art

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork