Untitled

Unknown

late 14th–early 15th century · Opaque watercolor and gold on board · Asian Art

Such crowns were worn by monks conducting rituals and were often part of dance costumes used in public ceremonial performances. Each of the five registers contains one of the Tathagata Buddhas (right to left): Ratnasambhava (yellow), Amitabha (red), Vairochana (white), Amoghasiddhi (green), and Akshobhya (blue). With Vairochana at center, these Buddhas preside over the directional Pure Lands. A Newari artist working in Tibet probably was responsible for this amazing crown, which is one of the earliest examples to survive.

Artist

Unknown

Date

late 14th–early 15th century

Medium

Opaque watercolor and gold on board

Culture

Tibet

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Jeffrey Kossak, The Kronos Collections, 1985