Embroidery of the Pilgrimage of Sudhana

CHINA; Qing dynasty

According to the “Gandavyuha Chapter” of the Avatamsaka Sutra, Sudhana visits 53 masters in his quest for enlightenment. This series of embroideries is based on this story. It consists of 54 panels, each of which is 27 cm high and 24 cm wide.
Fifty-three panels show Sudhana with each of the 53 spiritual mentors, while the last panel is an embroidery of the Heart Sutra. Each panel contains only two figures, Sudhana with one of the masters; however, the depictions of the masters and the surroundings vary immensely. On each panel, there is an inscription with the name of a Buddhist, Zhao Yong, suggesting that this series of works was commissioned by him. Some masters are depicted as kindly Bodhisattvas, some are solemn Heavenly Kings, and some are amiable sages. There are different scenes, including meetings among wild trees, others on top of clouds, and still others on the surface of the sea. Suddana himself also has different clothing and postures in each panel.
In this series of embroideries, more than ten different techniques and more than 20 colors are used to create the richly colored panels. The spirit and character of each figure are vividly portrayed.