Untitled

Unknown

1573–1619 · Distemper on cloth · Asian Art

This painting depicts a rare subject in Tibetan art, the life of Buddha Shakyamuni and his previous incarnations as told in the Jataka tales. These stories form an essential component of the Buddhist cosmology. This thangka has a Chinese inscription dating the work to the reign of the Wanli emperor (r. 1573–1619) of the Ming dynasty as well as Tibetan glosses identifying the scenes depicted. The presence of the glosses indicates that this thangka was made for a Tibetan client. Depicted around the central icon of a radiant Buddha is a series of scenes, each with mountains and monastic buildings serving as scene dividers. Both Jatakas depicted recount the bodhisattva’s self-sacrifice.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1573–1619

Medium

Distemper on cloth

Culture

Tibet

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Zimmerman Family Collection, Purchase, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, 2012