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Cosmological Mandala with Mount Meru
Additional Images (7)

Cosmological Mandala with Mount Meru

Period: Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
Date: 14th century
Culture: China
Medium: Silk tapestry (kesi)
Dimensions: Overall: 33 x 33 in. (83.8 x 83.8cm) Mount: 37 1/4 x 38 x 2 3/8 in. (94.6 x 96.5 x 6 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
Credit Line: Purchase, Fletcher Fund and Joseph E. Hotung and Michael and Danielle Rosenberg Gifts, 1989
Accession Number: 1989.140
Not on view
Description Related Objects Online Resources Object Information Video Audio
This elaborate tapestry-woven mandala, or cosmic diagram, illustrates Indian imagery introduced into China in conjunction with the advent of Esoteric Buddhism. At the center is the mythological Mount Meru, represented as an inverted pyramid topped by a lotus, a Buddhist symbol of purity. Traditional Chinese symbols for the sun (three-legged bird) and moon (rabbit) appear at the mountain’s base. The landscape vignettes at the cardinal directions represent the four continents of Indian mythology but follow the conventions of Chinese-style “blue-and-green” landscapes. The dense floral border derives from imagery of central Tibet, particularly from monasteries with ties to the court of the Yuan dynasty.
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Scroll Wrapper

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