Tribal People Blindly Supplicate the Buddhas for Blessings
Artist/Maker
Zhāng Hóng 张宏 / 張宏
(Chinese, 1577–1668)
Date1649
MediumAlbum leaf, ink and color on silk
DimensionsImage: 11 1/4 × 8 in. (28.6 × 20.3 cm)
Mount: 14 5/8 × 9 9/16 in. (37.1 × 24.3 cm)
Mount: 14 5/8 × 9 9/16 in. (37.1 × 24.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Carol S. Brooks in honor of her father, George J. Schlenker, and R. T. Miller Jr. Fund
PortfolioFigures in Settings
Object number1997.29.14G
Status
Not on viewTitle inscription: Tribal People Blindly Supplicate the Buddhas for Blessings 胡人佞佛
Three figures, identifiable as northern tribal people based on their clothing and hairstyles, prostrate themselves in an exaggerated fashion in front of a meditating Buddhist monk. The monk sits on a woven mat elevated on a rock, suggesting his high status. He is attended by two other monks: one on the left stands at the ready, holding the monk's staff (Sanskrit: khakkhara; Chinese: 錫杖 xīzhàng); the other stands in front of the seated monk, and holds a begging bowl in his left hand. But look carefully at his right arm. His hand seems to have disappeared, miraculously, into the seated monk's abdomen.
This detail suggests that the artist Zhāng Hóng is here referencing miraculous tales of certain early Buddhist monks in China who, like the other characters in this album, led an eccentric lifestyle. Many were also known for miracles and converting tribal people who came to them for blessings, healing, and prophecy. Some stories recount miracles in which beams of light or sacred scrolls emerge from the monk's abdomen.
Special thanks to Mansheng Wang for identifying this subject.
ProvenanceDr. George J. Schlenker, Piedmont, California ¹ ² ³; by descent to Carol S. Brooks, Alameda, CA ⁴; by partial gift and purchase 1997 to Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH
Notes:
[1] Identifying the two collector's seals will help to determine prior history
[2] Selected and purchased by James Cahill, Professor of Art History, University of California, Berkeley, on behalf of his step-father George J. Schlenker
[3] Stored at the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum, where it was exhibited and used as a teaching aid by Professor James Cahill
[4] Daughter of George J. SchlenkerExhibition History
Three figures, identifiable as northern tribal people based on their clothing and hairstyles, prostrate themselves in an exaggerated fashion in front of a meditating Buddhist monk. The monk sits on a woven mat elevated on a rock, suggesting his high status. He is attended by two other monks: one on the left stands at the ready, holding the monk's staff (Sanskrit: khakkhara; Chinese: 錫杖 xīzhàng); the other stands in front of the seated monk, and holds a begging bowl in his left hand. But look carefully at his right arm. His hand seems to have disappeared, miraculously, into the seated monk's abdomen.
This detail suggests that the artist Zhāng Hóng is here referencing miraculous tales of certain early Buddhist monks in China who, like the other characters in this album, led an eccentric lifestyle. Many were also known for miracles and converting tribal people who came to them for blessings, healing, and prophecy. Some stories recount miracles in which beams of light or sacred scrolls emerge from the monk's abdomen.
Special thanks to Mansheng Wang for identifying this subject.
A Century of Asian Art at Oberlin: Chinese Paintings
- Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (June 6, 2017 - December 10, 2017 )
Collections
- Asian
The AMAM continually researches its collection and updates its records with new findings.
We welcome additional information and suggestions for improvement. Please email us at AMAMcurator@oberlin.edu.
We welcome additional information and suggestions for improvement. Please email us at AMAMcurator@oberlin.edu.
