About Washing the Elephant

Washing the Elephant is a Yuan or Song Dynasty ink on silk hanging scroll attributed to Li Gonglin. The painting depicts the common scene of Manjushri cleaning the elephant. The painting depicts 8 foreign grooms, 2 foreign observers, four monks, and two Chinese attired in loose robes. The heavy labor is left to foreign grooms. It is in the collection of the Indiana University Art Museum.

13th century copy of the Taima Mandala. Japan, Kamakura period.

Buddhist art – The devotional artistic practices

Jul

2022

Art, Buddhism

Buddhist art is the artistic practices that are influenced by Buddhism. It includes art media which depict Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and other entities, notable Buddhist figures, both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from the lives of all of these, mandalas and other graphic aids to practice, as well as physical objects associated with Buddhist practice, such as vajras, bells, stupas and Buddhist temple architecture. Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the historical life .