The Buddha addressing Yamaraja at Kusinagara é迦çå°¼ä½æå
12th-13th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Purchase â Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Accession Number
F1926.1
Tags
About this artwork
To learn more about this and similar objects, visit http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/default.asp Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy.
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Buddha Addressing Yamaraja at Kusagara* (釋迦拏軒佛會圖), a captivating 12th-13th century Chinese painting from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection, acquired through the Charles Lang Freer Endowment. This anonymous work captures a pivotal Buddhist moment at Kusinagara, the of the Buddha's final sermon before entering parinirvana. Here, Shakyamuni Buddha preaches to Yamaraja, the formidable lord of death, surrounded by bodhisattvas, peacocks, cranes, and attendants gesturing in symbolic mudras—hand poses conveying teachings from sacred sutras. Emerging during the Song dynasty...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...