This statue was seized in Uragami, Nagasaki Prefecture,in 1856, Ming-Qing dynasty, 17th century. It was then preserved by the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office. Currently the statue is kept safely in Tokyo National Museum.
It depict the feminine form of Koyasu Kannon (子安観音), the god that represent birth and child rearing. Despite bearing the resemblance of “Byakue Kannon”, she holds a child in her hand. To the Christians the statue resembles Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. The white robe, according to Christianity, represents purity and righteousness. It also symbolizes salvation.
During the mid-17th century, outlawed Christians created statues of Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus) disguised as the Buddhist deity Kannon (Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin). These statues are known as Maria Kannon. Maria Kannon was made or altered to look like Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), however they were not worshipped as Kannon. This act of concealment allowed the Christian to practice their faith in secret, minimizing the chance of being exposed. Since their faith were forced to go underground, the follower usual practice their faith in a hidden room, a cave or in a forest.
There are a number of Maria Kannon statues, which includes “Byakue Kannon”, “Jibo Kannon”, Guanyin (Kannon) and Child of many different sizes. Some of which even include hidden image of the “cross” within them and some have it at the back of the statue. With the presence of the cross within the statue it indirectly imply that the statue is in fact constructed for Christian and not Buddhist despite it resembling Buddhist deity Kannon. The Christians would honor this statue by silently praying to Mother Mary. With such “trick” it creates a sense of relief for the follower. To the outsider it appears as a Buddhist statue but to the outlawed Christian, it appears as an object of Christ faith. Which successfully also fooled the government and help them to keep their faith hidden and alive.
This statue was seized in Uragami, Nagasaki Prefecture,in 1856, Ming-Qing dynasty, 17th century. It was then preserved by the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office. Currently the statue is kept safely in Tokyo National Museum.
In 1549, missionaries brought Christianity to Japan. As Christianity gain its popularity among the population, Tokugawa Ieyasu began to fear that the Christian will be more loyal to their faith as compared to his shogunate.
In 1612, Christianity was banned in the country and whoever practiced it were persecuted, often with violence, and as the days pass the methods got fiercer. Eventually, Christianity was banned for over two centuries during the Tokugawa Era, also known as Edo Period (1603-1868). Authorities were eager to eradicate this foreign religion that they execute and imprisoned thousands of Christians, and even to the extent of ordering all families to register with local Buddhist parishes.
To deal with the situation, the Christian had to practice their faith in secret to avoid being punished. Therefore, in order to conceal their faith, Christian were forced to keep a low profile and practice their faith in private. These Christians were eventually known as Kakure Kirishitan, or Hidden Christian. Since then their faith were forced to go underground, and follower had to practice it in secret.
During the mid-17th century, outlawed Christians created statues of Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus) disguised as the Buddhist deity Kannon (Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin). These statues are known as Maria Kannon. Maria Kannon was made or altered to look like Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), however they were not worshipped as Kannon. This act of concealment allowed the Christian to practice their faith in secret, minimizing the chance of being exposed.
There are a number of Maria Kannon statues, which includes “Byakue Kannon”, “Jibo Kannon”, Guanyin (Kannon) and Child of many different sizes. Some of which even include hidden image of the “cross” within them.
Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon, the feminine form of Koyasu Kannon (子安観音), is the god that represents birth and child rearing. Despite bearing the resemblance of “Byakue Kannon”, she carry a child in her hand. To the Christians the statue resemble Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. The white robe, according to Christianity, represents purity and righteousness. It also symbolize salvation.
The statue is made from Dehua White Porcelain, known as “hakugorai” or “Korean White Ware” in Japanese. It is the porcelain that give the statue its colour. As the name of the material suggests, the statue is being produced not in Japan but in Dehua Kilns, located in Fujian Province. In other words, the Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon is being illegally imported from China.
One of the main reasons of the use of Dehua Kilns porcelain is that the white is the colour commonly used during rituals observance. To add on, white to the Chinese, the manufacturing country, symbolizes filial piety, death and mourning, which is why it is the common colour for statues and incense burners.
At the back of the statue, a hidden Christian cross can be found. With the presence of the cross within the statue it indirectly imply that the statue is in fact constructed for Christian and not Buddhist despite it resembling Buddhist deity Kannon. The Christians would honor this statue by silently praying to Mother Mary. With such “trick” it creates a sense of relief for the follower. To the outsider it appears as a Buddhist statue but to the outlawed Christian, it appears as an object of Christ faith. Which successfully also fooled the government and help them to keep their faith hidden and alive.
References & Further Reading:
Mark Schumacher. Virgin Mary & Kannon, Two Merciful Mothers (1995 – 2014), Retrieved from November 3, 2015, from
In 1549, missionaries brought Christianity to Japan. It soon became popular that Tokugawa Ieyasu began to fear that Christians were more loyal to their faith than his shogunate. In 1612, Christianity was banned in the country and whoever practiced it were persecuted, often with violence, and in the coming years was even fiercer. It was banned for over two centuries during the Tokugawa Era known as the Edo Period. Authorites were eager to eradicate this foreign religion that they excuted and imprisioned thousands of Christians and ordered all families to register with local Buddhist parishes.
Thus to conceal their faith, Christian had to stay low profile and their faith had to be private. They were known as the Kakure Kirishitan, or Hidden Christians. Since then their faith was forced to go underground, and follower had to find private ways to practice it. In the mid-17th century, outlawed Christians created statues of Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus) disguised as the Buddhist deity Kannon (Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin). These statues are known as Maria Kannon. Maria Kannon was made or altered to look like Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), however they were not worshipped as Kannon. This is for safety purposes for the Christian who practices their faith in secret. Part of their creation of the statues, they had many version of Maria Kannon that looks like Kannon ranging from “Byakue Kannon”, “Jibo Kannon”, to Guanyin(Kannon) and Child of many different sizes. There are some that have a cross-hidden within the image or had a Christian icon hidden inside the body of the camouflaged artwork.
For instance, Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon is depicted as one of Kannon feminine form Koyasu Kannon (子安観音) that means child giving and child rearing, which resemble “Byakue Kannon” in appearance but she is holding a child. If you look at it with a Christian point of view, doesn’t it feels like it is depicting Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. In addition to its white robe, according to Christianity, it represents purity and righteousness and served as a symbol of salvation. This statue is made white with Dehua white porcelain, which can be known as “hakugorai” or “Korean White Ware” in traditional Japanese. Based on the material used to make for this statue, it tells that instead of it being made in japan, it is produced in Dehua Kilns, known for their porcelain that is located in Fujian Province opposite the island of Taiwan. Therefore it shows that Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon is imported to Japan for the hidden Christian’s underground use. The reason partly that Japanese uses such material is due to the fact that they associate very plain white with object for Japanese religious and ritual observance. Another reason for the use of such material is that it can produce a pure white colouring for the object. Since it is made in China, Chinese believe that white is the colour of filial piety and , death and mourning. Therefore they are usually used to make devotional characters such as statues and incense burners.
At the back of the statue, a hidden Christian cross can be found. This icon serve to conceal the Christian’s faith while they pretended to be Buddhist. The Christians would honor this statue by silently praying to Mother Mary. Due to having such method it create a sense of relief for the follower as to the outsider it appeared Buddhist, whereas to the outlawed Christian, it appeared as an object of Christ faith. These secretive methods fool the government and help them to keep their faith hidden and alive.
References & Further Reading:
Mark Schumacher. Virgin Mary & Kannon, Two Merciful Mothers (1995 – 2014), Retrieved from November 3, 2015, from
R.W.Smith. Dehua Kilns, “Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon,” The Christian Kannon, The Buddhist Madonna, Retrieved from November 3, 2015, from http://rwsmith.omeka.net/items/show/44
Dunoucou. Chinese Porcelain (October 3, 2008), Retrived from November 3, 2015, from
In 1549, missionaries brought Christianity to Japan. It soon became popular that Tokugawa Ieyasu began to fear that Christians were more loyal to their faith than his shogunate. In 1612, Christianity was banned in the country and whoever practiced it were persecuted, often with violence, and in the coming years was even fiercer. It was banned for over two centuries during the Tokugawa Era known as the Edo Period. Authorities were eager to eradicate this foreign religion that they executed and imprisioned thousands of Christians and ordered all families to register with local Buddhist parishes.
Thus to conceal their faith, Christian had to stay low profile and their faith had to be private. They were known as the Kakure Kirishitan, or Hidden Christians. Since then their faith was forced to go underground, and follower had to find private ways to practice it. In the mid-17th century, outlawed Christians created statues of Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus) disguised as the Buddhist deity Kannon (Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin). These statues are known as Maria Kannon. Maria Kannon was made or altered to look like Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), however they were not worshipped as Kannon. This is for safety purposes for the Christian who practices their faith in secret. Part of their creation of the statues, they had many version of Maria Kannon that looks like Kannon ranging from “Byakue Kannon”, “Jibo Kannon”, to Guanyin(Kannon) and Child of many different sizes. There are some that have a cross-hidden within the image or had a Christian icon hidden inside the body of the camouflaged artwork.
For instance, Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon is depicted as one of Kannon feminine form Koyasu Kannon (子安観音) that means child giving and child rearing, which resemble “Byakue Kannon” in appearance but she is holding a child. If you look at it with a Christian point of view, doesn’t it feels like it is depicting Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus. In addition to its white robe, according to Christianity, it represents purity and righteousness and served as a symbol of salvation. This statue is made white with Dehua white porcelain, which can be known as “hakugorai” or “Korean White Ware” in traditional Japanese. Based on the material used to make for this statue, it tells that instead of it being made in japan, it is produced in Dehua Kilns, known for their porcelain that is located in Fujian Province opposite the island of Taiwan. Therefore it shows that Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon is imported to Japan for the hidden Christian’s underground use. The reason partly that Japanese uses such material is due to the fact that they associate very plain white with object for Japanese religious and ritual observance.
At the back of the statue, a hidden Christian cross can be found. This icon serve to conceal the Christian’s faith while they pretended to be Buddhist. The Christians would honor this statue by silently praying to Mother Mary. Due to having such method it create a sense of relief for the follower as to the outsider it appeared Buddhist, whereas to the outlawed Christian, it appeared as an object of Christ faith. These secretive methods fool the government and help them to keep their faith hidden and alive.
R.W.Smith. Dehua Kilns, “Dehua Kilns Maria Kannon,” The Christian Kannon, The Buddhist Madonna, Retrieved from November 3, 2015, from http://rwsmith.omeka.net/items/show/44
I had to change my object due to the lack of information that I can find for Maria Kannon with a cross on the chest. Thus I did another research that is also on Maria Kannon, but it focus towards Virigin Mary and Child. Here is the Updated Object Label:
Dehua Kilns Maria Kannonマリア観音
(c. 17 Century)
Porcelain Statue
In the mid-17th century, outlawed Christians created statues of Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus) disguised as the Buddhist deity Kannon (Goddess of Mercy). It was made for safety to look like Kannon, however it is not worshipped as Kannon. They had many version of Maria Kannon that looks like Kannon ranging from “Byakue Kannon”, “Jibo Kannon”, to Guanyin(Kannon) and Child of many different sizes.
Maria Kannon statues are usually place in a hidden room within their house, or in a cave or in the hidden woods that served as an altar for the Hidden Christians to pray. During this period of time, they had to live a double life—Buddhist in name, Christian in Belief.
For this statue it is depicted as one of Kannon feminine form Koyasu Kannon (子安観音) that means child giving and child rearing, which resemble “Byakue Kannon” in appearance but she is holding a child. By having her holding a child is to represent Virgin Mary with baby Jesus. In addition, its white robe it represents purity and righteousness and served as a symbol of salvation. A Christian cross is often hidden behind the statue to conceal the Christian’s faith while they pretended to be Buddhist.
This depiction gave the Hidden Christian a sense of relief as to the outsider it appeared Buddhist, while to the outlawed Christians; it doubled as an object of Christian faith. Thus this statue is used to fool the government and keeping their faith at the same time.
This statue is seized in Uragami, Nagasaki Prefecture,in 1856, Ming-Qing dynasty, 17th century. It was then preserved by the Nagasaki Magistrate’s Office. Currently the statue is kept safely in Tokyo National Museum.
