Head of a Male Shinto Deity at The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich

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The face of this deity has a square shape with eyes that are closed tightly and eyebrows that spread wide across the forehead. A full mouth is sealed shut, and the short nose sports flared nostrils. The hat or headdress feature showcases a long, hanging ponytail-like element at the back, complete with raised arc-like elements that rise above the head. The curvilinear ears are positioned well back on the skull. There is damage to the right-hand side of the back, and significant internal damage can be seen. The light-colored wood clearly displays the grain of the wood, and there are traces of dark red lacquer present. The face is smoothly carved, but evidence of carving masks can be observed on the back of the head. This figurehead is almost certainly from a statue that sits squatting in traditional Japanese style on the floor. It was carved from a single block of wood, and the back still shows quite wide score marks from the chisel or adze used to shape it. The craftsmen who created Shinto figures were rarely professional artists like those who made Buddhist sculptures, and their technique represents an early type of folk art that continued to exist in more popular form in local sculpture up to the 19th century. This object is part of "Scan The World", a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory. Through this project, we are creating a digital archive of fully printable 3D sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for the public to access for free. Scan The World is an open-source community effort. If you have interesting items nearby that you'd like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can help.