地蔵菩薩来迎図|Welcoming Descent of the Bodhisattva Jizō

Unidentified artist

14th century · Hanging scroll; ink, color, and cut gold on silk · Asian Art

Veneration of the bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Kshitagarbha) became widespread during the Kamakura period. Among the iconographies associated with Jizō that originated in this period is this one, in which he manifests in the guise of a monk and rushes through the air to aid the suffering, especially those in hell. Derived from images of the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitābha) descending to welcome and escort a dying believer to his Pure Land, this painting portrays Jizō surfing the sky on a bank of cloud, his feet upon lotus pedestals. His monk’s robe is decorated with intricate patterns of cut gold. He carries a wishfulfilling jewel and a golden staff with six jangling rings, to announce his arrival.

Artist

Unidentified artist

Date

14th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and cut gold on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929