Chapter 9 of the Lotus Sutra, early 14th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Silk embroidered on paperexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.451
Not on Viewexpand_more
The Lotus Sutra teaches that salvation is attainable for all living beings and states explicitly that women may also become buddhas. This straightforward teaching made it one of the most influential Buddhist scriptures and a particularly popular one, especially among women. Very little is known about the early production of embroidered Buddhist sutras like this one. But as most surviving examples are transcriptions of the Lotus Sutra, it is highly likely that women created them. Creating these extravagant sutras, first transcribed in ink and then embroidered with colored silk and lavishly decorated with gold and silver, was an act of devotion. This work is but one small fragment—19 lines of a single chapter from a sutra consisting of some 28 chapters—of what must have been a set of numerous handscrolls.
Details
- Title
- Chapter 9 of the Lotus Sutra
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.79.451
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Murase, Art through a Lifetime, no. 842
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These 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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