{"secondaryobjectnumber":null,"periodterms":[{"id":2033859,"period":"Kamakura"}],"creditline":"Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund","caption":"Japanese, Kamakura period (1185–1333), Anonymous, Shōtoku at Two Years (Shōtoku Taishi zō 聖徳太子像), late 13th century. Wood, crystal, and pigments; 53 x 20.5 x 23 cm. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund (y1984-76)","cultureterms":[{"id":2033838,"culture":"Japanese"}],"type":"artobject","dimensionsproposed":"","terms":[{"id":2054791,"term":"sculpture","aatid":300047090,"termtype":"Classification"},{"id":2033838,"term":"Japanese","aatid":300018519,"termtype":"Culture"},{"id":2033859,"term":"Kamakura","aatid":300018558,"termtype":"Period / Style"},{"id":2055416,"term":"statues","aatid":300047600,"termtype":"Classification"},{"id":2055657,"term":"figures (representations)","aatid":300189808,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2061162,"term":"gray (color)","aatid":300130811,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2089229,"term":"prince","aatid":300025482,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2061306,"term":"black","aatid":300130920,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2088260,"term":"boy","aatid":300247598,"termtype":"Subject"},{"id":2168423,"term":"pigment","aatid":300013109,"termtype":"Materials"},{"id":2158003,"term":"woodcarving","aatid":300054089,"termtype":"Techniques"},{"id":2045920,"term":"wood","aatid":300011914,"termtype":"Materials"},{"id":2043574,"term":"crystal (material by form)","aatid":300221157,"termtype":"Materials"}],"geography":[{"displaygeography":"Place made: Asia, Japan","code":"Place made","continent":"Asia","subcontinent":null,"country":"Japan","region":null,"state":null,"city":null,"county":null,"subregion":null,"locale":null,"locus":null,"river":null,"excavation":null,"geoname":"http://www.geonames.org/1861060/japan.html","location":{"lat":"","lon":""}}],"dimensionelements":[{"element":"Overall","type":"Height","units":"centimeters","dimension":"53.00"},{"element":"Overall","type":"Width","units":"centimeters","dimension":"20.50"},{"element":"Overall","type":"Depth","units":"centimeters","dimension":"23.00"}],"markings":null,"accessionyear":"1984-01-01","newaccession":0,"makers":[{"id":2018,"displayname":"Anonymous","displaydate":null,"datebegin":0,"dateend":0,"prefix":null,"suffix":null,"role":"Artist","displaymaker":"Anonymous","displayorder":3}],"datecomputed":13,"signed":null,"restrictions":null,"classification":"Sculpture","packages":[{"packageid":214207,"name":"Gallery_16-Asian"},{"packageid":278831,"name":"10282025-DAY1-ONVIEW"},{"packageid":167646,"name":"web_highlights"},{"packageid":197269,"name":"web_highlights -revised 2021"},{"packageid":267343,"name":"Web_CA_2025_Asian"},{"packageid":181967,"name":"web_2020_Asian"}],"catalograisonne":null,"classifications":[{"id":2054791,"classification":"sculpture"},{"id":2055416,"classification":"statues"}],"exhibitions":[{"exhibitionid":961,"citation":"An Educated Eye: The Princeton University Art Museum Collection (Friday, February 22, 2008 - Sunday, June 15, 2008)","isvirtual":true,"begindate":"2008-02-22","enddate":"2008-06-15","uri":"https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/art/exhibitions/961"}],"cultures":[{"id":13690,"culture":"Japanese","alphasort":"Japanese","begindate":0,"enddate":0,"displayculture":"Japanese","displaydate":null}],"primaryimage":["https://media.artmuseum.princeton.edu/iiif/3/collection/y1984-76_OBL"],"displaytitle":"Shōtoku at Two Years (Shōtoku Taishi zō 聖徳太子像)","displayculture":"Japanese","displaymaker":"Anonymous","captionhtml":"Japanese, Kamakura period (1185–1333), Anonymous, <i>Shōtoku at Two Years (Shōtoku Taishi zō 聖徳太子像)</i>, late 13th century. Wood, crystal, and pigments; 53 x 20.5 x 23 cm. Museum purchase, Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund (y1984-76)","displaydate":"late 13th century","medium":"Wood, crystal, and pigments","media":[{"id":14323,"uri":"https://media.artmuseum.princeton.edu/iiif/3/collection/y1984-76_OBL","isprimary":1,"rank":1,"mediatypeid":1,"mediaviewtype":"(not assigned)","restrictions":null,"caption":"Luna Digitization Project"},{"id":3463,"uri":"https://media.artmuseum.princeton.edu/iiif/3/collection/y1984-76","isprimary":0,"rank":2,"mediatypeid":1,"mediaviewtype":"(not assigned)","restrictions":null,"caption":"Luna Digitization Project"},{"id":7557,"uri":"https://media.artmuseum.princeton.edu/iiif/3/collection/y1984-76_DET","isprimary":0,"rank":3,"mediatypeid":1,"mediaviewtype":"(not assigned)","restrictions":null,"caption":"Luna Digitization Project"}],"displayperiod":"Kamakura period, 1185–1333","extended_content":false,"campuscollections":"false","bibliography":[{"boilertext":"<i>Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collections </i>(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2013)","citation":"<i>Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collections </i>(Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Art Museum, 2013), p. 42","date":2013,"id":1994,"uri":"https://search.worldcat.org/title/865020505"},{"boilertext":"<i>Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection</i> (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007)","citation":"<i>Princeton University Art Museum: Handbook of the Collection</i> (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2007), p. 42 (illus.)","date":2007,"id":474,"uri":"https://search.worldcat.org/title/191864564"},{"boilertext":"Allen Rosenbaum and Francis F. Jones,<em> Selections from The Art Museum, Princeton University, </em>(Princeton,&nbsp;NJ: The Art Museum, Princeton University, 1986)","citation":"Allen Rosenbaum and Francis F. Jones,<em> Selections from The Art Museum, Princeton University, </em>(Princeton,&nbsp;NJ: The Art Museum, Princeton University, 1986), p. 227","date":1986,"id":1899,"uri":"https://search.worldcat.org/title/14244748"},{"boilertext":"\"Acquisitions of the Art Museum 1984,\" <EM>Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University </EM>44, no. 1 (1985): p. 24-52.","citation":"\"Acquisitions of the Art Museum 1984,\" <EM>Record of the Art Museum, Princeton University </EM>44, no. 1 (1985): p. 24-52., p. 48 (illus.)","date":1985,"id":3134,"uri":"https://www.jstor.org/stable/3774658"}],"nowebuse":"False","periods":[{"id":12584,"period":"Kamakura period","alphasort":"Kamakura period","begindate":1185,"enddate":1333,"displayperiod":"Kamakura period, 1185–1333","displaydate":"1185–1333"}],"department":"Asian Art","attribute_groups":[{"id":2199319,"term":"Asian Art","termtype":"Collecting Area"}],"daterange":"A.D. 1-500","dateend":13,"depicted":[],"titles":[{"title":"Shōtoku at Two Years (Shōtoku Taishi zō 聖徳太子像)","titletype":"Primary Title","displayorder":1}],"hasimage":"true","creditlinerepro":"","objectnumber":"y1984-76","inscribed":null,"texts":[{"texttype":"Online","textpurpose":"Handbook Entry","textentryhtml":"For centuries, Prince Sho¯toku (574–632) has been celebrated in Japan as foremost among early advocates of Buddhism, following the religion’s introduction in the sixth century. Chronicles of his life relate that at the age of two, Sho¯toku placed his hands together and chanted, \"I take refuge in the Buddha,\" upon which a relic of the Buddha Shakyamuni — the left eye — appeared in his hands. Later in life, Prince Sho¯toku became an important statesman and the founder of a number of Buddhist temples. By the medieval era, a cult devoted to Sho¯toku had been established, and images commemorating specific events in the life of the deified prince proliferated in sculpted and painted form.\r\nThe statue was constructed by the &shy;multiple-block (<I>yosegi zukuri</I>) technique. The pieces were glued together vertically and the joints covered with a glossy black lacquer, after which the figure was painted. Such statues were resistant to cracking, and their hollow interiors could hold objects of religious significance. Although the statue is blackened from incense smoke, some flesh-tone and crimson pigments remain on the ear and skirt. The head and body consist of two pieces each, as well as additional pieces for the bottom of the skirt. The eyes were set with crystal before the blocks were assembled. The arms are modern reconstructions.</P>\r\nThe sculpture is carved in a manner stylistically similar to mid-thirteenth-century works. Slight bulges at the stomach and knees are evident under the skirt, which falls gently around the statue’s bare toes. The head is carefully shaped, and the features are portrayed with delicate attention to the rise and fall of the facial planes. The realism of this statue is typical of Kamakura-period sculpture. </P></SPAN>","remarks":null},{"texttype":"Online","textpurpose":"Description","textentryhtml":"Joined wood technique: joined block construction method, traces of polychrome, crystal or glass eyes.&nbsp; Kneeling male child with hands folded in front of chest.&nbsp; Lower body covered from waist down with loose, draped skirt, which is gathered at the waist into a belt.&nbsp; Child stands on drapery, which extends behind the figure.&nbsp; Smooth, round, bald head; pronounced ears with exaggerated lobes; lips painted red.&nbsp; Dark, grayish-brown color overall on body; traces of polychrome especially prominent on skirt.&nbsp; ","remarks":"as per object file"},{"texttype":"Online","textpurpose":"Gallery Label","textentryhtml":"This wood statue depicts a young Prince Shōtoku (574–622), a semilegendary figure who was a strong supporter of Buddhism. The statue’s painted surface, which originally would have approximated natural skin tones, has darkened considerably over time. This depiction of Shōtoku commemorates a famous episode from his life, Namubutsu Taishi (“The Prince’s invocation of the Buddha”). At the age of two, Shōtoku faced east, put his hands together, and uttered words in reverence of the Buddha, after which a small vessel containing a relic, the left eye of the Buddha Shakyamuni, appeared in his hands. The relic is now enshrined at Hōryūji temple in Nara, along with a wooden statue of Prince Shōtoku that is similar to this one.\n","remarks":"ASIA4_16_CLA  – Day 1 Cataloguing"},{"texttype":"Online","textpurpose":"Provenance","textentryhtml":"[Sugimoto Works of Art, New York]; purchased by the Princeton University Art Museum with the Fowler McCormick, Class of 1921, Fund, 1984.","remarks":null}],"datebegin":13,"sortnumber":"1984   76y","published_date":"2026-02-11 10:31:59.140108","objectid":32872,"dimensions":"h. 53.0 cm., w. 20.5 cm., d. 23.0 cm. (20 7/8 x 8 1/16 x 9 1/16 in.)","on_view":true}