Maria Kannon
Artist
Japanese (Japanese)
Date
17th centuryMedium
CeramicDimensions
Work : 4 3/4 x 3 1/2 x 3 1/2 in. (12.07 x 8.89 x 8.89 cm)Credit Line
Hope College CollectionObject Number
2019.51
Label
After Christianity was outlawed by the Japanese government in 1634, many Japanese Christians were forced to practice their faith in secret. They met in small groups in private homes and used devotional images and objects that could easily be disguised as other things. This small sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary in a form that resembles images of the Buddhist saint Kannon. If worshippers were ever confronted by government officials, they could claim to be Buddhists and thereby escape the penalties for being Christian.
