Bodhisattva and Attendants

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At A Glance

  • Period

    14th century
  • Geography

    China
  • Material

    Ink and color on silk
  • Dimension

    H x W (image): 121.8 x 53.6 cm (47 15/16 x 21 1/8 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1913.65
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1913.65

Object Details

  • Label

    Bodhisattvas are princely disciples of the Buddha who have attained enlightenment but choose to remain accessible until all sentient beings have been saved. They are therefore saviors, unlike luohans, who are protectors of the Buddha Law. In the Water-Land Prayer rite for which this painting was made, it would have been displayed in an upper chamber among the deities, as of looking down at the mortals below.
    An unidentified bodhisattva is accompanied by two young women, one carrying a banner, the other a vase of flowers. The clouds are tinged with gold, and an air of serene, ethereal blessing is conveyed by the image. It was into this realm of serenity that one hoped to be reborn through the prayer rite.
    To learn more about this and similar objects, visit http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/default.asp Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy.
  • Provenance

    To 1913
    Abel William Bahr (1877-1959), London, to 1913 [1]
    From 1913 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Abel William Bahr, London, in 1913 [2]
    From 1920
    The Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 930, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Abel William Bahr (1877-1959) was a collector and dealer born in Shanghai, China. After he left Shanghai in 1910, he lived, at various points in time, in London, Montreal, and Ridgefield, Connecticut. He established a gallery in New York City in 1920.
    [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
  • Exhibition History

    Enlightened Beings: Buddhism in Chinese Paintings (September 1, 2012 to February 24, 2013)
    Luxury and Luminosity: Visual Culture and the Ming Court (July 3, 2004 to June 26, 2005)
    In Human Form: Images of the Secular and Divine in Chinese Painting (January 31, 1996 to January 7, 1997)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Abel William Bahr (1877-1959) (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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