Puxian (Samantabhadra)

inscription dates to 1578

Medium/TechniqueHandcolored woodblock print

Dimensions118.4 x 61.8 cm (46 5/8 x 24 5/16 in.)

Credit LineGift of Robert Treat Paine, Jr.

Accession number55.989

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Inscriptions普賢菩薩出山像 Portrait of Bodhisattva Samantabhadra Descending from the Mountain 大周左袞二十九年，顏回焚香拜書。陜西都司漢中衛守禦、沔縣右千戶所見寓黃沙河東修橋義官陳體，嘉靖三十三年重刊。洪都比丘明喜、吳郡貞源復刊，萬歷六年仲冬吉日。喜捨出板，信士董周氏 In the year (466BCE？？？?), Yan Hui (521-481 BCE) burned incense and wrote this respectfully. Chen Ti, a nominal officer of Mian county of Hanzhong in the southwest of Shaanxi reprinted this in 1554. Mingxi, a monk from Hongdu (current Nanchang, Jiangxi Province) and Zhenyuan from Wu County (current Suzhou, Jiangsu Province) reprinted it again in an auspicious day of the 11th month of the year 1578. Published by Xishe (note: literally means “Joy and Relinquishment.” As xi 喜 and she 捨 are two characteristics of mind and spirit developed in Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, along with ci 慈 and bei 悲, this Xishe might be a Buddhist publisher?). Commissioned by Buddhist lay follower: Madame Dong (nee Zhou)

ProvenanceAbout 1931, purchased in Japan by Robert Treat Paine, Jr. (b. 1900 - d. 1965), Cambridge, MA [see note]; 1955, gift of Robert Treat Paine, Jr. to the MFA. (Accession date: December 8, 1955)

NOTE: Purchased in Japan with the assistance of Mr. Sadajiro Yamanaka. Lent by Robert Treat Paine, Jr. to the MFA in 1932.