Avatamsaka Sutra No. 78
This illuminated manuscript presents one part of the multivolume sacred text titled Avatamsaka (Flower Garland) sutra. Both the script and the image are rendered in gold ink on the smooth surface of the dark blue, indigo-dyed mulberry paper. This portion of the text, which reads from right to left, describes the encounter of the Buddha of the Future (Maitreya) and the young pilgrim Sudhana. The Buddha gives his words of wisdom to Sudhana, who asks questions about the path toward spiritual awakening. Mixed with ink and glue, the gold has a brilliance that strikingly reflects Sudhana’s ardent...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- book: height 0.206 m, width 0.437 m; each page: height 0.207 m, width 0.11 m
- Department
- Korean Art
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
11 tags
Artistic Disciplines
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Written Word Both · 98%
The catalog identifies the work as a bound volume containing an illuminated sutra, and the image visibly shows numerous closely spaced rows of written characters.
Subject Matter
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Deities and Holy Figures Metadata · 90%
The catalog identifies the Buddha of the Future, Maitreya, as a central figure in the text described by the volume.
Visual Qualities
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Metallic Both · 94%
Fine luminous gold-colored marks contrast visibly with the dark ground, and the catalog identifies metallic gold and silver ink.
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Dark Colors Both · 99%
The visible manuscript ground is deep indigo-blue to nearly black, consistent with the catalog's description of dark blue indigo-dyed paper.
Medium and Techniques
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Manuscript Metadata · 99%
The object is classified as a bound volume and described as a folded book with an illustrated frontispiece.
Time Periods
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1000 - 1400 CE Art Metadata · 99%
The work dates to the 1300s, within the catalog's 1000–1400 CE period category.
Geographic Regions
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Asian Art Metadata · 90%
The catalog identifies the object as Korean art originating in Korea during the Goryeo dynasty; the available geographic category is the broader Asian art classification.
Materials
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Use of Paper Both · 96%
The catalog specifies mulberry paper as the support, while the image presents a continuous paper-based manuscript surface.
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Gold Metadata · 98%
The catalog specifies gold and silver on mulberry paper and describes the script and image as rendered in gold ink.
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Silver Metadata · 95%
The listed medium is gold and silver on mulberry paper.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Buddhist Art and Architecture Metadata · 99%
The work is an illuminated section of the Avatamsaka sutra, a sacred Buddhist text associated with Maitreya and Sudhana.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Avatamsaka Sutra No. 78. Cleveland Museum of Art.