Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Source Description
This example of imperial embroidery is one of the earliest surviving Chinese Buddhist robes (<em>kasaya</em>) in the West. Depicting 991 Buddhas, each slightly different, it is constructed out of patches in reference to the legend in which the Buddha's favorite disciple divided a robe he was given into 30 pieces. Patchwork is also a sign of humility. Multiple Buddha images known as “thousand Buddha” designs are seen painted and sculpted on the walls of cave temples in India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and China, but are rare on garments. The Four Heavenly Kings, guardians of the four directions, occupy the textile’s corners. When draped around the body, the inverted figures in the upper left corner appear right side up. Robes with 25 columns were worn by the highest-ranking clergy on ceremonial occasions.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
153759
label
Buddhist Priest's Ceremonial Robe
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
153759
contentType
object
title
Buddhist Priest's Ceremonial Robe
description
This example of imperial embroidery is one of the earliest surviving Chinese Buddhist robes (<em>kasaya</em>) in the West. Depicting 991 Buddhas, each slightly different, it is constructed out of patches in reference to the legend in which the Buddha's favorite disciple divided a robe he was given into 30 pieces. Patchwork is also a sign of humility. Multiple Buddha images known as “thousand Buddha” designs are seen painted and sculpted on the walls of cave temples in India, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and China, but are rare on garments. The Four Heavenly Kings, guardians of the four directions, occupy the textile’s corners. When draped around the body, the inverted figures in the upper left corner appear right side up. Robes with 25 columns were worn by the highest-ranking clergy on ceremonial occasions.
date
1400s
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q79940001
genreSpecific
Garment
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 119.4 x 302.1 cm (47 x 118 15/16 in.)
cul
China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
accession
1987.57
Source extras
tec
silk and gold thread; embroidery
tombstone
Buddhist Priest's Ceremonial Robe (袈裟), 1400s. China, Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Silk and gold thread; embroidery; overall: 119.4 x 302.1 cm (47 x 118 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund, 1987.57
titleInOriginalLanguage
袈裟
collection
Textiles
didYouKnow
The Five Transcendent Buddhas, who symbolize the purity of the five elements, are repeated around the edges.
citations
citation
Watt, James C. Y., Anne E. Wardwell, and Morris Rossabi. <em>When silk was gold: Central Asian and Chinese textiles</em>. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art in cooperation with the Cleveland Museum of Art: Distributed by H.N. Abrams, 1997.
page_number
Reproduced: cat. no. 64, pp. 210–212
citation
Cunningham, Michael R., Stanislaw J. Czuma, Anne E. Wardwell, and J. Keith Wilson. <em>Masterworks of Asian Art</em>. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1998.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: pp. 84–85
citation
Yi, Sŭng-hye. 2024. <em>Unsullied, like a Lotus in Mud</em>. Seoul: Hoam Museum of Art. (in Korean with English translations throughout)
page_number
cat. no. 89, p. 268-271
creditline
Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 07:57:12.247000
sourceId
153759
dept
Textiles
coll
Textiles
med
silk and gold thread; embroidery
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
2417ce3a52ec31fe