The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 25, 2022

Avatamsaka Sutra No. 78

대방광불화엄경 권제78 (大方廣佛華嚴經 卷第七十八)

1300s

Korea, Goryeo period

(918-1392)

Folded book with illustrated frontispiece; gold and silver on mulberry paper

Book: 20.6 x 43.7 cm (8 1/8 x 17 3/16 in.); Each page: 20.7 x 11 cm (8 1/8 x 4 5/16 in.)

The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1994.25

Location

not on view

Fun Fact

The pristine condition of this manuscript indicates that it was rarely used after its creation, revealing that the act of making a manuscript rather than reading it was the main religious goal.

Description

This illuminated manuscript presents one part of the multivolume sacred text titled Avatamsaka (Flower Garland) sutra. Both the script and the image are rendered in gold ink on the smooth surface of the dark blue, indigo-dyed mulberry paper. This portion of the text, which reads from right to left, describes the encounter of the Buddha of the Future (Maitreya) and the young pilgrim Sudhana. The Buddha gives his words of wisdom to Sudhana, who asks questions about the path toward spiritual awakening.

Mixed with ink and glue, the gold has a brilliance that strikingly reflects Sudhana’s ardent quest for understanding the way to reach enlightenment.

Inscriptions
Inscription Translation

Thus Maitreya, seeing Sudhana arrive, imbued with virtues, in the realm of non-obstruction, revealed him to the assembly, speaking of his treasury of qualities. Sudhana, hearing such supreme direction and instruction, was flooded with joy and burst into tears. His hair stood on end and he sighed with delight. He rose and paid his respects to Maitreya. Then, by the mental power of Manjushri, there appeared in his hands beautiful flower garlands and jewels, produced by the vows of enlightening beings; blissfully, Sudhana showered these on Maitreya. Then Maitreya patted him on the head and said, "It is good that you are so indefatigable, Sudhana; you will be a vessel of virtues, like Manjushri and me."

Provenance
?-1994
(Kang Collection, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
1994-
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Lee, Ji Kwan. "Position of the Avatamsaka - sutra in Korean Buddhism [한국불교에 있어 화엄경의 위치: 각판유통을 (刻板流通) 중심으로]." Bulgyohakbo 20 (September 1983): 11-43. www.dbpia.co.kr
Hwang, Su-young. “A Study on Goryeo Buddhist Sutra [高麗寫經의 硏究].” Gogo misul (1988): 51-67. www.dbpia.co.kr
Cunningham, Michael R., "Reflective Golden Brushwork." The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine (1995, Summer): 8-9.
Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment, 918-1392. San Francisco: Asian Art Museum, 2003. Reproduced: p.128, fig.36
Kwon, Hi-Kyung. "Style Analysis of Byunsangwha of the Scripts of Sutras for Personnal Praying in Late Koryo Dynasty [고려후기 개인발원 고려사경 변상화의 양식분석]." Journal of Studies in Bibliography 31 (September 2005): 153-200. www.dbpia.co.kr
Farthing, Stephen. Art: From Cave Painting to Street Art. New York: Universe, 2010. Reproduced: p.104, fig.1
Pak, Do-hwa. “Dr. Hwang Soo‐yeong’s Study on Sutra Copying and Its Meanings: Rediscovery of Sutra Copying from New Research Perspectives [黃壽永博士의 寫經 연구와 의의 - 사경의 재발견과 새로운 연구 시각].” Kangjwa misulsa (2014): 319–342. www.dbpia.co.kr
McBride, Richard D. "Koryŏ Buddhist Paintings and the Cult of Amitābha: Visions of a Hwaŏm-Inspired Pure Land." Journal of Korean Religions 6, no. 1 (2015): 93-130. www.jstor.org
Goryeo: The Glory of Korea [대고려, 그 찬란한 도전]. Seoul: National Museum of Korea, 2018.
Exhibition history

Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 238). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (July 21-November 10, 2015).

Goryeo Dynasty: Korea's Age of Enlightenment (918-1392). Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (organizer) (October 22, 2003-January 11, 2004).

Japanese and Korean Gallery Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (July 6, 2015-January 4, 2016).

Interpretation of Materiality: Gold (Korean art rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 29-October 24, 2021).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1994.25