Exhibition Label:
"Compassionate Beings: Japanese Buddhist Art," Sep-2009, Kris Ercums
This print depicts the historical Buddha Shaka, or Sakyamuni, with a large number of attending deities. The Buddha is flanked by his two principal attending bodhisattvas Monju (Sk. Manjusri) on a lion and Fugen (Sk. Samantabhadra) on an elephant. Arranged along either side of the print is a host of lesser deities, including guardian kings, devas, and monks. The two large figures in the foreground are of particular interest. On the right, Xuanzang, a seventh-century Chinese monk, carries a wooden backpack filled with sutras. He is revered for his successful journey to India to retrieve the Mahaprajnaparamitta sutra, which he later translated into Chinese (see this gallery). Considering its size and format, this print was probably a private devotional image that was purchased as an inexpensive alternative to a painting. For a fee a believer could purchase a printed copy of a painting owned by a temple, as both souvenir and as an object of worship.
Exhibition Label:
"Asian Gallery," Jul-2003, Youmi Efurd
This print depicts the historical Buddha Shaka, or Sakyamuni, with a large number of attending deities. The Buddha is flanked by his two principal attending bodhisattvas Monju (Sk. Manjusri) on a lion and Fugen (Sk. Samantabhadra) on an elephant. Arranged along either side of the print is a host of lesser deities, including guardian kings, devas, and monks. The presence of Xuanzang, the Chinese Tang dynasty monk who traveled to India in the seventh century, in the foreground is significant because he translated the Mahaprajnaparamita Sutra (a major Buddhist doctrinal text) into Chinese.
Considering its size and format, this print was probably a private devotional image that was purchased as an inexpensive alternative to a painting. For a fee a believer could purchase a printed copy of a painting owned by a temple, as both souvenir and as an object whose production and worship generated merit. Painted versions of this grouping of deities are fairly common.
Archive Label 2003 (version 1):
In this print, Shaka, the historical Buddha, is flanked by his followers, the bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju. The three are surrounded by a group of heavenly generals and other attendants. Fugen, on the left, is identified by his elephant mount and holds a monk’s sceptre. Monju, on the right, is seated on a lion and holds a lotus that supports a sutra. The image is unusual in two aspects, including the child’s face on the stomach of the guardian figure on the lower left and the phoenix that replaces the more usual lion under the throne of Shaka.
Considering its size and format, this print was most probably used as a private devotional image, an inexpensive alternative to a painting. Painted versions of this figured grouping are fairly common.
Archive Label 2003 (version 2):
In this print Shaka, the historical Buddha, is flanked by the bodhisattvas Fugen and Monju. Fugen, on the left, is identified by his elephant mount and holds a monk’s scepter. Monju, on the right, is seated on a lion and holds a lotus that supports a sutra. The three are surrounded by a group of 16 protective deities and several other figures that are considered guardians of Buddhist law.
The two large figures in the foreground are of particular interest. On the right, Xuanzang, a 7th century Chinese monk, carries a wooden backpack filled with sutras. He is revered for his successful journey to India to retrieve the Mahaprajnaparamitta sutra, which he later translated into Chinese. Jinja Taisho-, the figure opposite him, is the monk’s personal guardian, as he saved Xuanzang at a critical juncture of his quest. The child’s face on the stomach of Jinja Taisho- and the snake he holds are attributes associated with this particular guardian deity.
Considering its size and format, this print was probably a private devotional image that was purchased as an inexpensive alternative to a painting. For a fee a believer could purchase a printed copy of a painting owned by a temple, as both souvenir and as an object whose production and worship generated merit. Painted versions of this grouping of deities are fairly common.
