Vintage Goddess Kannon by Kato Kuen with message inside

The Empress of Secret Keepers. This tall beauty is the symbol of Kannon, Goddess of Mercy. Kannon is a Bodhisattva, which means she has prolonged her own eternal enlightenment to stay behind and help everyone who suffers in this world. Created by Kato Kuen, a priest of the Kannon-ji Temple on Mt. Koya, the holy place of huge monastery settlement and main point of all Buddhist pilgrimages. Kato was also a member of the Imperial family. Japanese temples are not just primarily places of worship, but are also used to house and display sacred objects. Buddhists then come to meditate and pray surrounded by these sacred objects. The bottom of the kokeshi can open to reveal a compartment with prayer scroll or personal prayer.