Samantabhadra Bodhisattva Meeting a Monk

CHINA; Ming dynasty

An inscription in the bottom left corner dates this painting to 1602 and was signed by Wu Bin. The seal imprints below the inscription also belong to Wu. Samantabhadra Bodhisattva wears a red robe and sits on a rug upon the back of a white elephant that lies peacefully on the ground. The Bodhisattva looks down at an Indian monk who stands with his palms joined in reverence. Large peony flowers bloom overhead. Three disciples, probably Arhats, stand behind the elephant; one is a youthful figure who wears a white robe and holds an alms bowl, another is a bearded, dark-skinned man who holds a long monk’s staff, and the third stands on the right holding an altar. In the lower register, a Bodhisattva places a peony flower on an ornate pedestal. Most of the picture is painted with fine, crisp lines. Pale colors dominate the painting, but the robes of the Bodhisattva and the two figures in the lower register are bright and vivid.