Samantabhadra1100s · Study 1962.161

Context from the museum

In the last chapter of the Lotus Sutra, one of the principal Buddhist texts, the great Bodhisattva Samantabhadra is described advancing to earth, riding on a six-tusked elephant, and proclaiming himself protector of the faithful. More frequently, he is shown with Bodhisattva Manjusri as the attendants of Shakyamuni (the historical Buddha). This scroll is probably the left panel in a triptych (group of three paintings) portraying these deities.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Samantabhadra holds a lotus with a sutra on top of the blossom.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Samantabhadra is 55.1 cm wide and 114.8 cm high, equivalent to approximately 21.7 × 45.2 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.48:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.63 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 18.4% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 122.5 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Samantabhadra in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 55.1 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?