“The Historical Buddha Preaching,” a section from The Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki)
The sutra to which this section of text and images once belonged narrates the life of the historical Buddha, known in Japanese as Shaka and in Sanskrit as Shakyamuni. Here the Buddha has already achieved enlightenment, demonstrated by the halo (mandorla) framing his head. He is preaching a message to King Bimbisara (558–491 B.C.), who became emperor of the Magadha Empire, in northern India, and an ardent supporter of Buddhist teachings.
With its primitive evocation of threedimensionality, suggested through a succession of receding contour lines and alternating passages of light and dark color, this vignette from the life of Buddha is the earliest example of East Asian painting in The Met collection.
With its primitive evocation of threedimensionality, suggested through a succession of receding contour lines and alternating passages of light and dark color, this vignette from the life of Buddha is the earliest example of East Asian painting in The Met collection.
Artwork Details
- 『過去現在因果経』 断簡
- Title: “The Historical Buddha Preaching,” a section from The Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki)
- Artist: Unidentified artist Japanese, mid-8th century
- Period: Nara period (710–794)
- Date: mid-8th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Handscroll section mounted as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 10 1/8 × 10 3/4 in. (25.7 × 27.3 cm)
Overall with mounting: 49 3/16 × 16 3/4 in. (125 × 42.6 cm)
Overall with knobs: 49 3/16 × 17 13/16 in. (125 × 45.3 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, Louis V. Bell, Harris Brisbane Dick, Fletcher, and Rogers Funds and Joseph Pulitzer Bequest; The Vincent Astor Foundation and Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gifts, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.19
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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