The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 30, 2026

A weathered, dark brown resin and paint sculpture depicts Prince Shōtoku, a child who kneels with palms joined at his chest and fingers pointed upward. Bare-chested, he wears a long, pleated skirt flaring around his feet. His face features wide-set, downcast eyes and a small mouth, with flaking patches of gold pigment marking his skin against the dark surface.

Prince Shōtoku at Age Two (Shōtoku Taishi)

2025

Takashi Murakami

Japan
photopolymer resin, stainless steel frame, water-based urethane paint, polyester putty, epoxy adhesive, weathering pigment
68.6 x 33.7 x 31.1 cm (27 x 13 1/4 x 12 1/4 in.)
Gift of Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. 2025.158
© 2025 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Location: Not on view

Description

At the Cleveland Museum of Art, the exhibition Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow (2025) began with the artist’s recreation of the Yumedono, or Dream Hall, from the Hōryūji Temple complex near Nara, Japan. The Yumedono is thought to reside in the location of the home of Prince Shōtoku Taishi (c. 573–622), who played a significant role in introducing Buddhism to Japan. When Murakami discovered a sculpture of Shōtoku at age two in the CMA’s Japanese collection, the artist decided to recreate it in the form of this homage work.
  • Takashi Murakami: Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (May 16-September 7, 2025).
  • {{cite web|title=Prince Shōtoku at Age Two (Shōtoku Taishi)|url=false|author=Takashi Murakami|year=2025|access-date=30 May 2026|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2025.158