仏伝図|Scene from the Life of the Buddha
Unknown Artist
early 15th century
Medium
Section of a wall panel mounted as a hanging scroll; ink, color, and gold on silk
Dimensions
Image: 29 1/2 × 43 1/2 in. (74.9 × 110.5 cm) Overall with mounting: 68 5/8 × 51 3/4 in. (174.3 × 131.4 cm) Overall with knobs: 68 5/8 × 54 1/2 in. (174.3 × 138.4 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Muromachi period (1392–1573)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Alvin E. Friedman-Kien, 1993
Accession Number
1993.478.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Scene from the Life of Buddha* (仏伝図), created by an unknown artist in early 15th-century Japan during the Muromachi period (139–1573), captures a pivotal moment from the Buddha's biography. Originally part of a larger wall panel it has been remounted as a hanging scroll measuring nearly 30 by 43 inches in its painted image alone. The composition likely features elegant figures—men, women, and the Buddha himself—set against palatial architecture, evoking the opulent world of ancient Indian royalty that framed Siddhartha Gautama's early life. Rendered in ink, vibrant colors, and...