alb8371703

China: Cosmological mandala with Mount Meru, silk tapestry, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368),14th Century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

The elaborate tapestry-woven mandala illustrates Indo-Himalayan imagery introduced to China along with the advent of Buddhism. At the centre is the mythological Mount Meru, represented by an inverted pyramid topped by a lotus, a Buddhist symbol of purity. Traditional Chinese images for the sun (a three-legged bird) and moon (a rabbit) appear at the mountains base.<br/><br/> . The landscape vignettes at the cardinal directions represent the four continents of Indian mythology but follow the artistic conventions of Chinese-style landscapes. The floral border, with the four vases in the four corners, parallels the imagery of central Tibet, particularly monasteries with ties to the Yuan court in Beijing.

Share
Pinterest
Twitter
Facebook
Copy link
Email

Add to another lightbox

Do you already have an account? Sign in

You do not have an account? Register

Buy this image. Select the use:

Title: China: Cosmological mandala with Mount Meru, silk tapestry, Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368),14th Century, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Caption: The elaborate tapestry-woven mandala illustrates Indo-Himalayan imagery introduced to China along with the advent of Buddhism. At the centre is the mythological Mount Meru, represented by an inverted pyramid topped by a lotus, a Buddhist symbol of purity. Traditional Chinese images for the sun (a three-legged bird) and moon (a rabbit) appear at the mountains base.

. The landscape vignettes at the cardinal directions represent the four continents of Indian mythology but follow the artistic conventions of Chinese-style landscapes. The floral border, with the four vases in the four corners, parallels the imagery of central Tibet, particularly monasteries with ties to the Yuan court in Beijing.

Credit: Album / Universal Images Group / Pictures From History

Releases: ? Model Release: No - ? Property Release: No
Rights questions?

Image size: 4200 × 4061 px | 48.8 MB

Print size: 35.6 × 34.4 cm | 1653.5 × 1598.8 in (300 dpi)

Keywords: 14TH CENTURY • 14TH • 14TH-CENTURY • ART • ARTS • ASIA • ASIAN • BUDDHISM • BUDDHISM, BHUTANESE • BUDDHIST • CHINA • CHINE • CHINESE • CULT, BUDDHIST • DYNASTY • FOURTEENTH CENTURY • LEGEND • LOTO • LOTUS • MAHAYANA • MANDALA • MERU • MOUNT MERU • PORCELAIN • RELIGION • SILK • TAPESTRY • TEXTILES: SILK • TIBET • TIBETAN • WEAVING • XIV CENTURY • YUAN