So, is he an annoyed monk or a peaceful monk? What's your vote?
Does his expression look a little irate to you? It does to me. Maybe the other monks were picking on him. I'm sure it was just a trick of the light, combined with the cap being set just so. Whatever the case may be, looks like a somewhat angry face to me.
That isn't a cape, by the way, but rather a bib. Many Buddhist and Shinto statues have bibs. It is due to Jizō-sama's association with protecting children and the bibs Jizo statues wear soon spread to other Shinto and Buddhist statues.
Combine his annoyed look and the bib resting on his shoulder like a cape, and he almost looks like some crazed supervillain. I'll make those monks pay! They'll be sorry.
❦
| David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. |