Buddhist Priest's Ceremonial Robe
This example of imperial embroidery is one of the earliest surviving Chinese Buddhist robes (kasaya) in the West. Depicting 991 Buddhas, each slightly different, it is constructed out of patches in reference to the legend in which the Buddha's favorite disciple divided a robe he was given into 30 pieces. Patchwork is also a sign of humility. Multiple Buddha images known as “thousand Buddha” designs are seen painted and sculpted on the walls of cave temples in India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and China, but are rare on garments. The Four Heavenly Kings, guardians of the four directions, occ...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- overall: height 1.194 m, width 3.021 m
- Department
- Textiles
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Deities and Holy Figures Metadata · 99%
The catalog states that the robe depicts 991 Buddhas and that the Four Heavenly Kings, guardians of the four directions, occupy its corners.
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Related to Religion Metadata · 98%
The title, ceremonial robe type, Buddhist imagery, and documented use by high-ranking clergy establish a religious subject and function.
Visual Qualities
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Patterns Visual · 99%
The textile surface is filled with repeated Buddha figures, geometric compartments, floral ornament, and patterned borders.
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Dense Composition Visual · 99%
Figures and ornament occupy nearly the entire central field and borders, leaving little unpatterned ground.
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Highly Ornamented Visual · 99%
Elaborate borders, halos, figures, and ornamental fields cover the displayed textile with extensive decorative detail.
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Highly Detailed Visual · 98%
The image shows numerous small, finely rendered figures and intricate repeated motifs across the textile.
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Symmetrical Visual · 93%
The flat presentation reveals a balanced framework of horizontal borders, vertical columns, repeated compartments, and corner figures around a central field.
Time Periods
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15th Century Art Metadata · 98%
The catalog date is recorded as the 1400s, with date boundaries from 1400 to 1499.
Geographic Regions
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Chinese Art Metadata · 99%
The recorded place of origin is China, specifically the Ming dynasty.
Cultural and Religious Styles
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Buddhist Art and Architecture Metadata · 99%
The catalog identifies the object as a Chinese Buddhist robe, or kasaya, with Buddha imagery and the Four Heavenly Kings.
Textiles
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Textile Arts Metadata · 99%
The Cleveland Museum of Art classifies the object as a garment and textile and identifies silk, gold thread, and embroidery as its medium.
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Embroidery Metadata · 99%
The catalog explicitly identifies embroidery executed with silk and gold thread.
Source & rights
Unknown artist. Buddhist Priest's Ceremonial Robe. Cleveland Museum of Art.