Embroidered silk, possibly human hairexpand_more
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundationexpand_more 2015.79.452
This is an example of a shūbutsu, or an embroidered Buddhist image. Three large Sanskrit seed syllables, appearing encircled under a golden canopy, represent the Amida triad: Amitābha (Jp. Amida) Buddha in the center; and the bodhisatvas Mahāsthāmaprāpta (Jp. Daiseishi bosatsu) and Avalokiteśvara (Jp. Kannon) on the left and right, respectively. The cartouches at the top right and left corners read:
(Right) The light of Amida illuminates the entire world
(Left) All who praise Amida will attain salvation.
A monk or a devotee stitched the seed syllables—the most sacred parts of the image—with their own hair as a way to accumulate merit. This act, of embroidering one’s hair into a Buddhist image, was not uncommon, especially among women. Hair was considered a precious offering because it symbolized a corporeal sacrifice.
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