Sutra Box with Lotus Flowers and Seed Syllables, early 17th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Black lacquer with gold maki-eexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.385a,b
Not on Viewexpand_more
Designed to hold a scroll of Buddhist scripture, or sutra, this lacquered box bears designs rendered in gold maki-e of lotuses blooming in a pond and two seed syllables, or holy Sanskrit characters that represent buddhas or bodhisattvas. In this case, the syllables stand in for two different manifestations of the bodhisattva Kannon, or Avalokitesvara in Sanskrit: White-robed Kannon and Juntei Kannon. White-robed Kannon is included among the standard “Thirty-three Manifestations of Kannon” developed in China, while Juntei Kannon—the sole female manifestation—is included in the “Six Manifestations of Kannon” associated with the Shingon sect of Buddhism.
Details
- Title
- Sutra Box with Lotus Flowers and Seed Syllables
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.385a,b
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 746
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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