Sakyamuni on an Elephant

Object Details

• Artist

  Formerly attributed to Su Hanchen (active early to mid-12th century)

• Description

  Sakyamuni is seated on a white elephant with elaborate trappings. He is carrying a ruyi scepter and is accompanied by two attendants carrying scrolls. The figures are in a landscape with clouds and with a tree bearing red flowers. No seals, inscriptions or labels.

• Provenance

  To 1906

  Yamanaka & Company, to 1906 [1]

  From 1906 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1906 [2]

  From 1920

  Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

  Notes:

  [1] Undated folder sheet note. Also see Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 538, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.

  [2] See note 1.

  [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Previous custodian or owner

  Yamanaka and Co. 山中商会 (1917-1965) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1700s, 1500s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, buddha, Yamanaka and Co.

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Trees, Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Animals, Shakyamuni, Chinese Art, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Elephants, Scepter

• Culture

  Buddhists, Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings