Chinese Buddhist Art, 10th–15th Centuries

In the centuries after Buddhism was introduced to China in the early part of the Han dynasty (AD 25–220), the style of Chinese Buddhist art developed its own unique characteristics. Spanning nearly 600 years—from the Five Dynasties (907–960) to the early part of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)—Chinese Buddhist Art, 10th–15th Centuries explores this evolution with rarely exhibited works from the Museum’s collection that depict significant Buddhist subjects, including bodhisattvas, arhats, and lotuses.

 

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a wall painting depicting the Seated Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara (Guanyin) that once decorated a temple hall in northern China during the Five Dynasties period. One of the oldest and largest surviving works of its kind, the wall painting was given to the Museum by C.T. Loo, the preeminent dealer of Chinese art and artifacts during the first half of the 20th century. Also on view are four hanging scrolls, including a pair illustrated with lotuses, and a painted wooden sculpture of a seated arhat that has never been exhibited at the Museum.

 

Gallery 225 is devoted to the periodic rotation of East Asian works on silk and paper and related objects. Chinese Buddhist Art, 10th–15th Centuries is on view from March 30 to August 30, 2018. This exhibition is curated by Philip Hu, curator of Asian art.

 

Image from the Saint Louis Art Museum