Celestial Musician

Description

Although a number of Buddhist textiles produced in the Sino-Tibetan style survive, Central Asian embroideries from the same period are exceedingly rare. Here, a goddess standing on a lotus support and playing a bowed lute may be the personification of the sense of hearing. In Buddhism, the five senses were represented as female deities, each a different color (in this case, blue). The style of the figure, her hair, the form of her crown, the nervously ruffled hem, the scrolling scarves, and the rainbow halo with rays are Central Asian. This figure originally was part of a large hanging.

Provenance

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Celestial Musician

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1300s

Accession Number

1987.145

Medium

silk and gold thread over two layers of cotton, embroidery

Dimensions

Overall: 66.5 x 45 cm (26 3/16 x 17 11/16 in.)

Classification

Embroidery

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

John L. Severance Fund