Repository for the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and Eleven Volumes of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra

Repository for the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and Eleven Volumes of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra

Unknown artist

This repository is one of a pair that once contained the scrolls of a religious text called the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. Two discs painted on the back have the sacred syllables representing the Buddha Shakyamuni and the Buddha Amida. Eight of the 16 benevolent but fierce looking deities who protect the text appear on the doors.

Details

Dimensions
height: height 1.6 m; painted surface: height 1.005 m, width 0.39 m
Department
Japanese Art
Holding institution
Cleveland Museum of Art
Image provider
cleveland-museum-of-art
License
CC0-1.0
Credit
John L. Severance Fund

Art Genome Taxonomy

11 tags

Subject Matter

  • The museum identifies eight of sixteen benevolent but fierce-looking deities who protect the sutra, and multiple human-like figures are visibly painted on the two open doors.

  • Text Both · 98%

    The repository was made for the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra; the image shows character-like marks on the two circular discs and vertical writing on the cylindrical cases.

  • Mythology and Religion Metadata · 98%

    The museum describes a religious Buddhist text, sacred syllables, Buddhas, and protective deities associated with the object.

Visual Qualities

  • Highly Ornamented Visual · 97%

    The cabinet combines painted doors, a curved projecting roof, finial, tiered base, numerous fittings, and dense surface decoration.

  • Dark Colors Visual · 95%

    Black, dark brown, and deep green dominate the cabinet and cases, with smaller red, flesh-colored, and gold accents.

Time Periods

  • 1000 - 1400 CE Art Metadata · 99%

    The work is dated to the late 1100s, within the 1000–1400 CE period.

Geographic Regions

  • Japanese Art Metadata · 99%

    The museum gives Japan as the place of origin and identifies the work with Japanese Art.

Materials

  • Wood Metadata · 99%

    The listed medium is lacquered wood with ink, color, gold, cut gold, and metalwork.

  • Metal Metadata · 92%

    Metalwork is explicitly listed in the medium, and fittings are visible around the doors and architectural elements.

  • Gold Both · 95%

    Gold and cut gold are listed in the medium, while gold-colored highlights are visibly present on the painted doors, inscriptions, and fittings.

Cultural and Religious Styles

  • The object is explicitly associated with the Buddhist Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and the Buddhas Shakyamuni and Amida.

Source & rights

Unknown artist. Repository for the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra and Eleven Volumes of the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. Cleveland Museum of Art.