Divine General

This amusingly rigid figure represents one of the Twelve Divine Generals (Jūni Shinshō) who attend and protect Yakushi, the Buddha of Healing. From the 11th century on, the generals became associated with the twelve animals of the Asian zodiac. Although difficult to identify, the animal here may be a dog, as one seems to be poking its head from the warrior’s curious, bag-like cap. Based on an inscription on the underside of the figure, it is attributed to Joga, an artist associated with the famous Kei school active in Nara during Japan’s Kamakura period.