Historical Buddha Shakyamuni with the bodhisattvas Fugen (Samantabhadra) and Monju (Manjushri)
date: label: Date
content: 15th century
label: Period
content: Muromachi period
notes: label: Label
content: Buddhist deities are often painted and displayed at altars in groups of three or more-typically a Buddha at the center and his attendant bodhisattvas (enlightened beings) to the left and right. Here the Historical Buddha Shakyamuni sits on a lotus-shaped throne with his attendants: Fugen to his right, holding a lotus and seated on an elephant, and Monju, seated on a lion, to his left. Surrounding the Buddha and the heads of the bodhisattvas are circular halos representing light and wisdom emanating from the sacred figures. Ornate patterns embellished with gold are typical of traditional Buddhist paintings, which honor deities through resplendent decoration.
label: Provenance
content: To 1906-1907
label: Provenance
content: Unidentified owner, to 1906-1907 [1]
label: Provenance
content: From 1906-1907 to 1919
label: Provenance
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from an unidentified owner, during collecting trip to Asia, in 1906-1907 [2]
label: Provenance
content: From 1920
label: Provenance
content: Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
label: Provenance
content: Notes:
label: Provenance
content: [1] See Reserved Kakemono List, R. 599, pg. 19, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. According to the Accession List, Collections Management office, C.L. Freer purchased this object during his "Oriental trip, 1906-1907."
label: Provenance
content: [2] See note 1.
label: Provenance
content: [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
label: Collection
content: Freer Gallery of Art Collection
label: Exhibition History
content: Words of Wisdom: Buddhist Calligraphy from Japan (April 1, 2023 to February 25, 2024)
label: Exhibition History
content: Religious Art of Japan (December 18, 2002 to January 4, 2015)
label: Previous custodian or owner
content: Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
place: label: Origin
content: Japan
topic: label: Topic
content: Buddhism
label: Topic
content: lion
label: Topic
content: elephant
label: Topic
content: Muromachi period (1333 - 1573)
label: Topic
content: lotus
label: Topic
content: Japan
label: Topic
content: throne
label: Topic
content: Monju
label: Topic
content: Fugen
label: Topic
content: Shakyamuni
label: Topic
content: kakemono
label: Topic
content: Japanese Art
label: Topic
content: Charles Lang Freer collection
setName: label: Related Online Resources
content: Google Arts & Culture
label: See more items in
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Collection
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Charles Lang Freer
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: F1907.652
objectType: label: Type
content: Painting
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: Color and gold on silk
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (image): 114.8 × 59.2 cm (45 3/16 × 23 5/16 in)