Great Shomu: Section of the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish
Date8th century
Label TextThis five-column fragment is part of a transcription of the Buddhist sutra The Wise and the Foolish. It was originally part of a 17-volume set of handscrolls, but the scrolls were dispersed and some were even cut into smaller sections and mounted as hanging scrolls. Since the 15th century, this scroll has been attributed to Emperor Shomu (r. 724–749), a devoted Buddhist. Its calligraphy style was novel in Japan at the time, and some scholars suspect the calligraphy was brushed by a Chinese scribe in Japan or the scroll was imported from China.
Object number2020.23.1
Provenance[Shibunkaku Gallery, Kyoto, Japan]; purchased from gallery by Cheney Cowles, Seattle, Washington, 2013; to Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, Washington, 2020
Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing [on view Dec. 10, 2021 - July 24, 2022].Credit LineGift of Mary and Cheney Cowles
Dimensionsimage: 10 3/4 x 5 1/2 in. (27.3 x 14 cm)
overall: 51 x 16 3/4 in. (129.5 x 42.5 cm)
MediumInk on paper
Chinese
7th-8th century
Object number: 2022.11.1
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