禅師坐像|Portrait of a Zen Master

Unknown

15th century · Lacquer on wood with inlaid crystal · Asian Art

The intense presence of a Zen master is achieved here by a focus on realism in the face, while the body, with its heavy robes flowing over the chair, is more conventionalized. Sculpted portraits were frequently venerated in the living quarters of Zen temples. There, they provided a physical reminder of the deceased founder, who, in an unbroken chain of transmission from master to disciple, represented the crucial link between his disciples and the lineage that descended from the historical Buddha. This notion of teaching "from heart to heart" without the aid of sutras is central to Zen and made such portraits more important than icons of Buddhist deities.

Artist

Unknown

Date

15th century

Medium

Lacquer on wood with inlaid crystal

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, John D. Rockefeller 3rd Gift, 1963