작자미상 수월관음도 고려|作者未詳 水月觀音圖 高麗|Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara

Unidentified artist

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

A popular deity in the Goryeo period, the Water-Moon Avalokiteshvara (Korean: Suwol gwaneum) helped prevent calamities and diseases and safeguard travelers. This scroll shows the resplendently attired bodhisattva in three-quarter view, seated on rocks along the coral-dotted sea. At the bodhisattva’s feet stands the boy pilgrim Sudhana (Korean: Seonjae dongja); the description of his encounter with the deity in the Flower Garland (Avatamsaka) Sutra provides the textual source for the painting. Commissioned by members of the royal and aristocratic families and executed by highly skilled painters, Goryeo Buddhist paintings gained fame in East Asia for their splendor. Their trademarks include delicate details, evident in this work in the transparent white veil, the lotus pattern on the red robe, and the gold-painted design on the garments.

Artist

Unidentified artist

Date

14th century

Medium

Hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk

Culture

Korea

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

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