“The Buddhist Madonna, The Christian Kannon” exhibition features the dual Christian and Buddhist visual imagery that Japan’s “hidden Christian” population used to conceal their faith during the era of Christian prosecution during the Edo period (1603-1868) and uphold their syncretic faith. The main topic of the exhibition’s focus is Maria Kannon statues, icons of the bodhisattva Kannon (Sanskrit-Avalokiteśvara) that acted as objects for Marian worship, but it will feature other hidden Christian artifacts and videos.

Through displaying Maria Kannon icons together with other artifacts, “The Buddhist Maddona, The Maria Kannon” will emphasizes that rather than practice Buddhism as a cover for Christianity practice, Japanese Christians before and during the Edo period worshipped both faiths in harmony. More specifically, the stylistic features of the statues that draw from Marian and Kannon images demonstrates that the creators and worshippers of Maria Kannon icons understood these icons as both the Virgin Mary and Kannon.

“The Buddhist Madonna, The Christian Kannon” exhibition uses digital technology as a means to educate its audience about the synthetic qualities of Maria Kannons and underground Christianity. In its digital format, visitors can use comparison tools and multimedia objects to access information and images of Maria Kannons and understand the religious and stylistic precedents for the icons.

 

“Kawaguchi Amida Buddha, Maria Kannon, and Cross” (17th century) Kawaguchi, Japan Image Source

Some of the key content items include:

• “Kawaguchi Maria Kannon”, which was hidden inside a larger “Kawaguchi Amida Buddha” icon displayed in a Buddhist temple
• “Kannons with Crosses”, unusual Maria Kannon icons with crosses on their chests
• “The Madonna Immaculate” fumi-e, an example of icons used by the shogunate against underground Christians.

The exhibition will be organized by several themes: “Underground Christian Background”, “the Virgin Mary and Avalokiteśvara”, and “Maria Kannons”. This will guide viewers through the history of underground Christianity and help them understand why this synthesis religious traditions was vital to Edo period Christians. The option to compare Maria Kannon images side-by-side to icons of the Madonna and Kannon will help users realize the stylistic and iconographic similarities between the figures and which elements of Marian and Kannon imagery artists omitted or added to Maria Kannon icons.