106 - A LARGE AND FINE BUDDHIST PAINTING DEPICTING THE DEATH OF THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA, PARINIRVANA (NEHAN-ZU), EDO PERIOD

A LARGE AND FINE BUDDHIST PAINTING DEPICTING THE DEATH OF THE HISTORICAL BUDDHA, PARINIRVANA (NEHAN-ZU), EDO PERIOD Japan, 18 th-19 th century, Edo period (1615-1868) Ink, watercolors, gouache, and gold paint on paper. Mounted on a gilt brocade frame and framed behind glass. Depicting Buddha Shakyamuni reclining on his right side upon a richly decorated platform beneath flowering sala trees, surrounded by a densely gathered assembly of grieving bodhisattvas, rakan, monks, deities and guardians. Above, Queen Maya descends from the heavens amid swirling clouds, while the lower register is filled with mourning animals, birds, reptiles, and insects, including a large white elephant, tiger, horse, boar, and rooster. Image SIZE 138 x 108.5 cm, SIZE incl. frame 162.5 x 132.7 cm Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Wear, creasing and folds, scattered stains, scattered small tears and losses, some with associated old repairs and touchups, some rubbing and flaking to pigments. The reverse with old paper reinforcements and patches. The silk brocade border with expected wear. The Death of the Buddha, or Parinirvana, represents his transition from earthly existence to the ultimate release from suffering as an enlightened being, embodying fundamental principles of Buddhist doctrine. Witnesses to this defining moment are often depicted in such scenes revealing limited comprehension of enlightenment through expressions of grief. Bodhisattvas, enlightened beings who remain in the world to guide others toward liberation, maintain composed and solemn serenity. Shaven-headed disciples weep openly, joined by Hindu deities and protective guardians who have embraced the teachings of Buddha. Men and women of all social strata, accompanied by numerous animals, participate in the mourning, as Queen Maya, mother of Buddha, descends from the upper right, overcome with sorrow. The commemoration of Parinirvana is among the most significant observances in the Buddhist calendar, marking the final of the eight major events in the life of Buddha. Special ceremonies occur on the fifteenth day of the second month. From the Nara period (710–794) onward, large painted images depicting the passage of Buddha into ultimate nirvana became central to these ceremonies. Museum comparison: Compare a related painting by Hanabusa Itcho (1652-1724), titled Parinirvana of Sakyamuni, the Historical Buddha, dated to the late 17 th century, 62.23 x 46.04 cm, in the Minneapolis Institute of Art, accession number 2013.29.2.