shinzō

religious icon, Japan

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Article History

shinzō, in the Shintō religion of Japan, a representation either in painting or sculpture of a kami (god or sacred power). The Shintō religion did not have a tradition of iconic representation, but under the influence of Buddhism a few anthropomorphic images began to be created in the Heian period (794–1185). Notable examples are the late 9th-century wooden statues in the Matsunoo Jinja at Kyōto. Paintings of Shintō kami became more common in the Kamakura period (1192–1333) with the development of the syncretic Shintō-Buddhist school of Ryōbu Shintō.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Virginia Gorlinski.