A GILT LACQUERED WOOD MANUSCRIPT COVER
WITH THE FIVE PRESIDING BUDDHAS
TIBET, 14TH CENTURY
7 1/4 x 26 1/2 in. (18.5 x 67.4 cm)
Footnotes
西藏 十四世紀 木雕漆金五方佛護經板
This well-carved and finely detailed manuscript cover depicts Mahayana Buddhism's Five Presiding Buddhas: (from left to right) Ratnasambhava, Akshobhya, Vairochana, Amoghasiddhi, and Amitabha. Each is enthroned and joined by pairs of his respective animal vehicles, which is a finer detail that is often not included (e.g. HAR 21331). The central register is framed by a band of truncated stupas in between two pearl borders. Compare another cover displaying similar figural types and stupas in the MacLean Collection (Sellig-Brown, Protecting Wisdom, New York, 2012, pp.207-7, no.51.
