According to one explanation, the eleven-headed goddess of mercy Kannon (Jūichimen Kannon) arose when this bodhisattva descended to Hell to enlighten and redeem the sinners there, but found that each redeemed sinner is immediately replaced by another. She was so desperate that her head split into ten pieces. The merciful Buddha Amitabha, however, took the ten pieces and recreated them into heads, which he crowned with his own head. In this way, the eleven-headed Kannon can look down at the suffering more effectively and compassionately care about the redemption of mankind. The eleven-headed Kannon from Prague looks like a graceful woman and is made of Japanese cypress, hinoki, wood. Her right palm is outstretched in a gesture of generosity, while her left hand, in which she is supposed to hold a lotus, is held in front of her chest. The circular carved halo is decorated with an open lotus blossom.
