COLLECTION NAME:
The AMICA Library
mediaCollectionId
AMICO~1~1
The AMICA Library
Collection
true
AMICA ID:
CMA_.1987.57
amicoid
CMA_.1987.57
AMICA ID
false
AMICA Library Year:
1998
aly
1998
AMICA Library Year
false
Object Type:
Textiles
oty
Textiles
Object Type
false
Creator Nationality:
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
crc
Asian; Far East Asian; Chinese
Creator Nationality
false
Creator Dates/Places:
China
cdt
China
Creator Dates/Places
false
Creator Name-CRT:
China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), early 15th century
crt
China, Ming dynasty (1368-1644), early 15th century
Creator Name-CRT
false
Title:
Kashaya (Buddhist Priest's Robe)
otn
Kashaya (Buddhist Priest's Robe)
Title
false
Title Type:
Primary
ott
Primary
Title Type
false
View:
Full View
rid
Full View
View
false
Creation Date:
1400-1425
oct
1400-1425
Creation Date
false
Creation Start Date:
1400
ocs
1400
Creation Start Date
false
Creation End Date:
1425
oce
1425
Creation End Date
false
Materials and Techniques:
embroidery, silk and gold thread
omd
embroidery, silk and gold thread
Materials and Techniques
false
Classification Term:
Embroidery
clt
Embroidery
Classification Term
false
Dimensions:
Overall: 119.4cm x 302.1cm
met
Overall: 119.4cm x 302.1cm
Dimensions
false
AMICA Contributor:
The Cleveland Museum of Art
oon
The Cleveland Museum of Art
AMICA Contributor
false
Owner Location:
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
oop
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Owner Location
false
ID Number:
1987.57
ooa
1987.57
ID Number
false
Credit Line:
Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
ooc
Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
Credit Line
false
Rights:
orl
<a href="http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html"target="_new">http://www.clemusart.com/museum/disclaim2.html</a>
Rights
false
Context:
Kashaya are rectangular robes worn by ordained Buddhist priests. Typically, they are pieced together to symbolize the vow of poverty taken in the sixth century BCby Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. In this kashaya, the vertical bands of applied buddhas and clouds were sewn onto the rectangular gauze ground. Also applied were the small buddhas between the bands, the four Guardian Kings in the corners, the Wheel of the Law in the bottom center, the Three Precious Jewels in the top center, and the FiveTranscendent Buddhas that are repeated around the outer edges. The lotuses and swastikas in the interstices were embroidered directly onto the gauze ground. Worn draped about the body, kashaya were secured with ties. The buddhas and king in the upper-leftcorner of this example are upside-down when the garment is viewed flat. When draped, however, these figures appear right-side up. The decorative program is based on the branch of Buddhism known as Mahayana. The myriad buddhas refer to the idea that the cosmic consciousness of Buddha can eventually be attained by everyone and, hence, is limitless. The Four Heavenly Kings, believed to live on the slopes of Mount Sumeru, the center of the universe, bestow wealth, success, and victory. They are also the guardians of the four quarters: Vaishravana (north) in the upper-right corner (shown in the detail on the next page), Dhritarashtra (east) in the lower right, Virudhaka (south) in the lower left, and Virupaksa (west). The Three Jewels (centered at the top) symbolize the teacher, the teaching, and the Buddhist community, and provide refuge from the endless suffering of repeated births and deaths. The three revolutions of the Wheel of the Law (centered at the bottom) refer to the teachings given to the early disciples and the two principal philosophical schools of Mahayana Buddhism. Finally, the Five Transcendent Buddhas repeated in the outer border symbolize the purity of the five elements, directions, colors, addictions, and wisdoms. The theme of the thousandbuddhas used as the decorative program of a garment first occurs in the fifth-century carving of Vairochana at Yungang, a Buddhist site in northern Shaanxi Province. The earliest surviving embroidery with this theme dates from the Tang dynasty and was found by Sir Aurel Stein at Dunhuang. Other known kashaya were preserved in Tibet, although they appear to have been made in Central Asia or China. The Cleveland robe, produced in China, may have been commissioned by a powerful Tibetan monastery; or, it mayhave been sent as an imperial gift by the Chinese court to an important Tibetan lama. A.W.
cxd
Kashaya are rectangular robes worn by ordained Buddhist priests. Typically, they are pieced together to symbolize the vow of poverty taken in the sixth century BCby Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. In this kashaya, the vertical bands of applied buddhas and clouds were sewn onto the rectangular gauze ground. Also applied were the small buddhas between the bands, the four Guardian Kings in the corners, the Wheel of the Law in the bottom center, the Three Precious Jewels in the top center, and the FiveTranscendent Buddhas that are repeated around the outer edges. The lotuses and swastikas in the interstices were embroidered directly onto the gauze ground. Worn draped about the body, kashaya were secured with ties. The buddhas and king in the upper-leftcorner of this example are upside-down when the garment is viewed flat. When draped, however, these figures appear right-side up. The decorative program is based on the branch of Buddhism known as Mahayana. The myriad buddhas refer to the idea that the cosmic consciousness of Buddha can eventually be attained by everyone and, hence, is limitless. The Four Heavenly Kings, believed to live on the slopes of Mount Sumeru, the center of the universe, bestow wealth, success, and victory. They are also the guardians of the four quarters: Vaishravana (north) in the upper-right corner (shown in the detail on the next page), Dhritarashtra (east) in the lower right, Virudhaka (south) in the lower left, and Virupaksa (west). The Three Jewels (centered at the top) symbolize the teacher, the teaching, and the Buddhist community, and provide refuge from the endless suffering of repeated births and deaths. The three revolutions of the Wheel of the Law (centered at the bottom) refer to the teachings given to the early disciples and the two principal philosophical schools of Mahayana Buddhism. Finally, the Five Transcendent Buddhas repeated in the outer border symbolize the purity of the five elements, directions, colors, addictions, and wisdoms. The theme of the thousandbuddhas used as the decorative program of a garment first occurs in the fifth-century carving of Vairochana at Yungang, a Buddhist site in northern Shaanxi Province. The earliest surviving embroidery with this theme dates from the Tang dynasty and was found by Sir Aurel Stein at Dunhuang. Other known kashaya were preserved in Tibet, although they appear to have been made in Central Asia or China. The Cleveland robe, produced in China, may have been commissioned by a powerful Tibetan monastery; or, it mayhave been sent as an imperial gift by the Chinese court to an important Tibetan lama. A.W.
Context
false
Related Image Identifier Link:
CMA_.1987.57.tif
ril
CMA_.1987.57.tif
Related Image Identifier Link
false