Jūichimen

Kannon

A popular avatar of Kannon, especially in the Shingon sect, the eleven-faced Kannon was one of the earliest Buddhist images to reach Japan. Ten of the heads supposedly represent ten steps on the Bodhisattva path, with the eleventh being enlightenment.

crown of 11 heads

Enkyōji, Gifu

hibutsu

Jū-ichimen Kannon

Shidoji, Shikoku

hibutsu

Tachibanadera, Nara

11th century