Bodhisattva Mahapratisara with the Text of “Da Sui qiu tuoluoni”
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.This ritual print shows a dharani, or mystic formula, written in Sanskrit around the central figure of the Bodhisattva Mahapratisara. His eight arms hold different attributes reflecting his protective powers. The design is reminiscent of a mandala, a symbolic representation of the universe. The text relates the benefits of making copies of it so as to motivate multiple printings.
The lotus medallions along the borders have been overprinted with Sanskrit “seed” characters seemingly carved on another block of the same size. This would make the work the earliest known example of multiblock printing. The donor, Li Zhishun, and the carver, Wang Wenzhao, are named near the top.
The lotus medallions along the borders have been overprinted with Sanskrit “seed” characters seemingly carved on another block of the same size. This would make the work the earliest known example of multiblock printing. The donor, Li Zhishun, and the carver, Wang Wenzhao, are named near the top.
Artwork Details
- Title: Bodhisattva Mahapratisara with the Text of “Da Sui qiu tuoluoni”
- Artist: Engraved by Wang Wenzhao (Chinese, active second half of the 10th century)
- Period: Northern Song dynasty (960–1127)
- Date: 980
- Culture: China
- Medium:
Woodblock print; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 16 7/16 x 11 15/16 in. (41.7 x 30.3 cm)
Overall: 27 1/16 x 20 1/16 in. (68.7 x 51 cm) - Classification: Prints
- Credit Line: On loan from the British Museum
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art