004
Former Lives? of the Buddha Shakyamuni
Thangka, painting
Cotton support with opaque mineral pigments in waterbased (collagen) binder
Size?
Indeterminate region
Ca. 19th century
Indeterminate style
Shakyamuni Buddha is seated on a lotus, making the meditation gesture and
holding a begging bowl. The landscape of rolling mountains, trees, rivers
and palaces creates the narrative space in the painting. The unidentified
scenes around the Buddha may represent traditional stories of his previous
lives, also known as the Jataka tales.
Wei Lin
Narrative Scenes of the Buddha Shakyamuni Essay
Museum #: 97.268
Huntington Archive Image Scan #: T1010