Anonymous
Section of a Variant Version of the Lotus Sutradate unknown

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Anonymous
Title: Section of a Variant Version of the Lotus Sutra
Place Made: Japan
Date Made: date unknown
Period: Heian period (794 - 1185) or Kamakura period (1185 - 1333)
Medium: Metallic ink on indigo-dyed paper
Dimensions: Image: 10 × 17 3/8 in. (25.4 × 44.13 cm) Sheet: 10 × 17 3/8 in. (25.4 × 44.13 cm)
Credit Line: Julian C. Wright Bequest
Accession Number: M.79.152.543
Classification: Drawings
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: In Buddhism, the act of transcribing and transmitting sacred teachings, known as sutra, is an important means to accumulate religious merits. The Lotus Sutra (Skt. Saddharma Pundarika Sutra) preaches one’s rebirth in the Western Paradise or Pure Land where the Buddha Amida (Skt. Amitabha) resides. The teaching therefore garnered popular appeal, especially by the end of the Heian period (794–1185) and into the Kamakura period (1185–1333). Originally much longer, this excerpt is from the sutra’s seventh chapter, known as Kejōyu in Japan. It introduces the karmic connection between the Buddha and all living beings from the past. The use of luxurious materials, such as gold ink on indigo-dyed paper, initiated in Tang-dynasty China and later adopted in Korea and Japan, reflects the devotion embodied in these carefully written, splendid scriptures.

Rika Hiro

2025

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Anonymous
Title: Section of a Variant Version of the Lotus Sutra
Place Made: Japan
Date Made: date unknown
Period: Heian period (794 - 1185) or Kamakura period (1185 - 1333)
Medium: Metallic ink on indigo-dyed paper
Dimensions: Image: 10 × 17 3/8 in. (25.4 × 44.13 cm) Sheet: 10 × 17 3/8 in. (25.4 × 44.13 cm)
Credit Line: Julian C. Wright Bequest
Accession Number: M.79.152.543
Classification: Drawings
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: In Buddhism, the act of transcribing and transmitting sacred teachings, known as sutra, is an important means to accumulate religious merits. The Lotus Sutra (Skt. Saddharma Pundarika Sutra) preaches one’s rebirth in the Western Paradise or Pure Land where the Buddha Amida (Skt. Amitabha) resides. The teaching therefore garnered popular appeal, especially by the end of the Heian period (794–1185) and into the Kamakura period (1185–1333). Originally much longer, this excerpt is from the sutra’s seventh chapter, known as Kejōyu in Japan. It introduces the karmic connection between the Buddha and all living beings from the past. The use of luxurious materials, such as gold ink on indigo-dyed paper, initiated in Tang-dynasty China and later adopted in Korea and Japan, reflects the devotion embodied in these carefully written, splendid scriptures.

Rika Hiro

2025