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The Supreme Deity; Xaca, another Deity of Japan; The Pagoda of Monkeys
The Supreme Deity; Xaca, another Deity of Japan; The Pagoda of Monkeys

The Supreme Deity; Xaca, another Deity of Japan; The Pagoda of Monkeys

Original Language TitleLa Divinité Supreme; Xaca autre Divinité du Japon; La Pagoda des Singes
Series TitleCeremonies et Coutumes religieuses de tous les peuples du monde representees par les figures dessinees de la main de Bernard Picart
Artist Bernard Picart (French, 1673 - 1733)
Date1724
MediumEtching
DimensionsImage: 12 7/8 x 8 5/8 inches (32.7 x 21.91 cm)
Credit LineGift of Laurence Sickman
Object numberF83-40/5
On View
Not on view
Collections
DescriptionTwo images on one plateExhibition History
Occidental Graphics from the Collection of Laurence Sickman, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, September 13- October 18, 1992, no. 31, as The Supreme Deity; Xaca, another Deity of Japan and The Pagoda of Monkeys.
Gallery Label
The scenes depicted here record Japanese customs and creation myths as understood by Europeans at this time. Bernard Picart produced these prints for the multi-volume work Ceremonies and Religious Customs of the Various Nations (1723-1743). As the title suggests, the publication was a comparative study of all known religious practices and beliefs. Through text and images, it sought to highlight the similarities among various religions rather than their differences. According to the commentary accompanying these images, the worship of monkey deities was also practiced in India and Babylon.
Published References
Occidental Graphics from the Collection of Laurence Sickman, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, MO, September 13- October 18, 1992, p. 5, as The Supreme Deity; Xaca, another Deity of Japan and The Pagoda of Monkeys.
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