Todaiji Temple Shosoin: Seated Bodhisattva
Ink on linen
Todaiji Temple Shosoin: Seated Bodhisattva
JAPAN, Nara; Nara period
This ink drawing belonging to the Todaiji Temple Shosoin is one of the few Buddhist paintings remaining from the Nara period (710–794). Portrayed with a rounded face, thick eyebrows, small lips, and long ears, the Bodhisattva sits on a cloud, gazes downwards, and forms a mudra with each hand. Although the waist is quite slender, the figure does not appear disproportionate. The high topknot rises above a headdress. A stole is draped around the arms and billows up in a circle around the head.
The picture is drawn with strong and powerful ink lines of varying thicknesses that give the image a three-dimensional appearance. The floating stole recalls the work of the Tang dynasty (618–907) artist Wu Daozi.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting P-Z, page 915.
Cite this article:
author = Hsingyun and Youheng and Youlu and Wilson, Graham and Manho and Mankuang and Huntington, Susan,
booktitle = {Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting P-Z},
pages = 915,
title = {{Todaiji Temple Shosoin: Seated Bodhisattva}},
volume = 16,
year = {2016}}