The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 18, 2025

Thunder God (Raijin)

1300s

Japan, Kamakura period

(1185–1333)
wood with traces of gesso and red and black pigment
Overall: 66.7 cm (26 1/4 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1972.64
Location: Not on view

Description

The Thunder (Raijin) and Wind (Fujin) gods first appeared in early Buddhist art in China and Japan and were based on the popular imagery in India that was derived from the life of the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni. They were shown among a group of demon-monsters flying through the sky above the meditating Shakyamuni in an attempt to frighten away his concentration. Raijin is surrounded by a ring of small drums struck by a stick held in his hand so that he is always accompanied by a thunderous noise. A metal clasp protruding from this sculptures' back indicates that a ring of drums was once attached to the Cleveland Raijin. The matching sculpture, Fujin, is in the Fukuoka Art Museum in Japan.
  • ?–1972
    (Setsu Gatoda Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    1972–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1972.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 60, no. 3 (March 1973): 63–115. Mentioned: pp. 65, 115; Reproduced: no. 329, p. 99 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 372 archive.org
    Shimizu Zenzō, "Japanese Sculptures in America and Canada," Bukkyō geijutsu [佛教藝術= Ars Buddhica] , no. 126 (September 1979), part I, pp. 67–88. Reproduced: fig. 16, p. 71
  • Byobu: The Art of the Japanese Screen. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (August 1-October 14, 1984).
    Reflections of Reality in Japanese Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 16-May 1, 1983).
    Masterworks of Wood: China and Japan. Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR (organizer) (November 4-December 5, 1976); Asia House Galleries, New York City, NY (January 13-March 27, 1977).
    Year in Review: 1972. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 27-March 18, 1973).
  • {{cite web|title=Thunder God (Raijin)|url=false|author=|year=1300s|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.64