元 緙絲 須彌山曼陀羅|Cosmological Mandala with Mount Meru

Unknown

14th century · Silk tapestry (kesi) · Asian Art

The elaborate tapestry-woven mandala, or cosmic diagram, illustrates Indo-Himalayan imagery introduced to China along with the advent of Esoteric Buddhism. At the center is the mythological Mount Meru, represented by an inverted pyramid topped by a lotus, a Buddhist symbol of purity. Traditional Chinese images for the sun (three-legged bird) and moon (rabbit) appear at the mountain’s base. The landscape vignettes at the cardinal directions represent the four continents of Indian mythology but follow the artistic conventions of Chinese-style “blue-and-green” landscapes. The dense floral border, with the four vases in the four corners, parallels the imagery of central Tibet, particularly monasteries with ties to the Yuan court.

Artist

Unknown

Date

14th century

Medium

Silk tapestry (kesi)

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Fletcher Fund and Joseph E. Hotung and Michael and Danielle Rosenberg Gifts, 1989