The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition
The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition
The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition
The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition
The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition
The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition

The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition

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Title: The Buddha Shakyamuni, or Possibly Amida, Seated atop a Lotus Pedestal, Circa 1500-1600. A Rare, Surviving Example of Embroidered Buddhist Art, Likely Produced by a Female Devotee, and Once Part of a Larger Composition
Condition: Good

A Late Muromachi Period, 16th century embroidery portrait of the Buddha Shakyamuni, or possibly the Amida, seated atop a lotus pedestal. An extraordinarily small and rare surviving piece of embroidered Buddhist Art, this portrait was likely produced by a female Buddhist devotee and was probably originally part of a larger composition, possibly a Triad painting with the Buddha flanked by the two bodhisattvas Monju and Fugen.

The bottom portion of the lotus petals are also completely severed from the pedestal, suggesting it was perhaps removed and reattached for restoration purposes. 

Having spoken to Carolyn Wargula at Bucknell University, who specializes in Japanese Buddhist art, I was able to understand more on the dating and possible materials used in this embroidery piece. For one, some of the unraveling threads look to be possible satin stitch. Secondly, there is some black thread which was added in overlay stitch above to provide details of the hands, the facial features, and the drapery of the robes. There is also the usage of gold thread, distinctly only used for the mandorla and to demarcate each petal of the lotus flower on the pedestal, helping to define their form.

The embroidered figure of the Buddha has been carefully laid down on a silk background, which has been neatly mounted onto a brocade decorated kakejiku (hanging scroll), with jikusaki (knobs) made of wood. There is an early wooden box to accompany it, preserving the scroll.

One embroidered painting mounted on a kakejiku (hanging scroll), 67 x 22.5 cm full size, 26.5 x 17.5 cm main painting

This painting is in good shape, with some wear and old soiling to the brocade decoration itself, and some of the decoration starting to peel in places. The embroidered Buddha has a few loose threads, and what looks like a chunk or two missing from the mandorla. There is also a very small hole to the lower right of the image, not impacting the piece itself.

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