
Gold on indigo paper
This frontispiece is from Fascicle 31 of a copy of the Avatamsaka Sutra. The patrons who commissioned the sutra were a couple praying for a peaceful old age for their parents, happiness, and longevity. It dates from 1337 of the Goryeo dynasty, and was listed as National Treasure No. 215 in 1984. The frontispiece illustrates Sudhana’s visits to Surendrabha, Vishwamitra, and Silpabhina. A border of patterned vajras surrounds the images. The figures, buildings, trees, and clouds are depicted with extremely fine golden lines, while the inscription on the left and the text of the sutra are drawn in silver.
For more details, go to the Encyclopedia of Buddhist Arts: Painting A-H, page 260.