22. Page from the Illustrated Miracles of Kannon, Gold Inscribed Kannon Chapter of the Lotus Sutra

22. Page from the Illustrated Miracles of Kannon, Gold Inscribed Kannon Chapter of the Lotus Sutra

Japan, Edo period, 1615–1868; silk, ink, and gold; 14 1/2 x 13 1/2 in.; The Newark Museum, Purchase 1909 George T. Rockwell Collection,  9.2313.

Painted in ink and highlighted with gold, this painting vividly depicts Kannon saving a gentleman falling off the mountain and threatened by deadly spikes below. The bodhisattva’s calm demeanor contrasts with the violent attitude of the glowering villain standing at the precipice. This illustration belongs to a volume of the Kannon Chapter in the Lotus Sutra, one of the most influential texts in East Asia. This scripture describes Kannon’s superior ability to transform into thirty-three different forms and save a wide range of suffering people. The extremely elongated arm emphasizes the accessibility and supernatural power of Kannon, the “Bestower of Fearlessness.” MD

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Guanyin Chapter from an Illustrated Lotus Sutra (Miaofa lianhua jing Guanshiyin pusa pumenpin)

Guanyin Chapter from an Illustrated Lotus Sutra (Miaofa lianhua jing Guanshiyin pusa pumenpin)

1432; accordion–fold book; gold ink on indigo-dyed paper; palace copy; each page: 13 3/8 x 4 3/4 in.; full length: 13 3/8 x 542 3/8 in.; Harvard Art Museums/Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Gift of Alan Priest, 1926.46. Photo: Imaging Department © President and Fellows of Harvard College.

“Universal Gateway,” Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra

“Universal Gateway,” Chapter 25 of the Lotus Sutra

Sugawara Mitsushige (active mid–13th century), calligrapher, Japan, 1257; handscroll, ink, color, and gold on paper; 30 ft. 8 1/16 in.; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Louisa Eldridge McBurney Gift, 1953, 53.7.3, photo: www.metmuseum.org.