The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 15, 2026

Gozu Tennō (Ox-Headed Plague Deity)

1100s

Japan, Heian period

(794–1185)
Wood with traces of color
22.5 x 18 x 9.6 cm (8 7/8 x 7 1/16 x 3 3/4 in.)
Lillian M. Kern Memorial Fund 2025.10
Location: 235A Japanese

Did You Know?

The Gion Festival in Kyoto is related to belief in Gozu Tennō.

Description

Gozu Tennō is a deity who is capable of both bringing epidemics and dispelling them. His name is literally “Ox-Headed Celestial King.” He usually has three heads with an ox-head rising above his primary face. He sometimes holds a lasso and sword or an ax, but here holds his hands in a powerful gesture that may be designed to repel illness or promote healing.
  • ? by 1970
    Hiragushi Denchu [1872–1979]
    ?–2025
    (Kobijutsu Yanagi [Yanagi Fine Art Shop], Kyoto, Japan, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2025–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Highlights of Japanese Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 7, 2025-June 14, 2026).
    Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (2011).
  • {{cite web|title=Gozu Tennō (Ox-Headed Plague Deity)|url=false|author=|year=1100s|access-date=15 March 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.10