An old stoic stone statue of a beheaded Jizō, the buddhist bosatsu of mercy. It was made by Japanese Zen Buddhists and was located in southwest Japan before its relocation to the museum. The beheaded statue has a clean break at the neck area as the head was knocked off rather than time damaging the statue. Kneeling at ~5 feet tall this statue was once a display of devotion to buddhism that was marred by fundamentalist created conflict. Wearing a traditional Buddhist robe, in a position of meditation, the statue is a symbol of peace and devotion.
This statue has stood for hundreds of years as Buddhism was not new to Japan, however in 1637 it was decapitated. This was due to the Shimabara rebellion from 1637-1638 where a small group of Christians