大般若経（中尊寺経）|Great Wisdom Sutra (Daihannya-kyō), from the Chūsonji Temple Sutra Collection (Chūsonji-kyō)

Unknown

ca. 1175 · Handscroll; gold and silver on indigo-dyed paper · Asian Art

This chapter from the Great Wisdom Sutra is one of more than five thousand scrolls of Buddhist scripture that were dedicated in 1176 to the northern Japanese temple Chūsonji by the nobleman Fujiwara no Hidehira for the salvation of his father, Motohira. Collectively, they are referred to as the Chūsonji Sutras. Despite its execution in a provincial setting, the calligraphy is as high quality as that seen in works produced for wealthy temples in the capital, Kyoto. The frontispiece illustrates the Buddha’s first sermon, at the Deer Park near Sarnarth, India. He is seated on a lotus platform, as are the two bodhisattvas who flank him. Gathered around are five ascetics dressed in simple robes, who would become the Buddha’s disciples. Several deer set the scene.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1175

Medium

Handscroll; gold and silver on indigo-dyed paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Dr. and Mrs. Roger G. Gerry Collection, Bequest of Dr. and Mrs. Roger G. Gerry, 2000