Nirvana Painting: The Pure Land and the Buddha's Final Moments Combined
Important Cultural Property, by Lu Xinzhong, Southern Song Dynasty, 13th Century
Color and gold on silk, 157.1 cm (H) x 82.9 cm (W), Nara National Museum
This painting depicts the scene of the Buddha's passing, known as 'Nirvana.' However, if you look closely—wait, isn't something a bit different? The atmosphere and the way it is depicted are quite different from the typical, standardized Nirvana paintings.
Are those exotic-looking people dancing!?
The features are as follows:
Instead of Sal trees, there are 'jeweled trees' (a Pure Land motif) standing there.
The disciples surrounding the Buddha do not show much expression of grief.
Figures with the appearance of 'Hu' (foreigners from Central Asia as viewed from China) are dancing with an incense burner between them.
It is rare to see people dancing in a scene of Nirvana in typical Nirvana paintings.
Who painted this?
Near the bottom right, there is a signature that reads, 'Painted by Lu Xinzhong of Cheqiao Shiban Lane, Qingyuan Prefecture.' We know it was painted by the Buddhist artist Lu Xinzhong, who was active in Qingyuan Prefecture (modern-day Ningbo). Many of his works were brought to Japan, and this piece was also passed down to Hojuin Temple in Aichi after its arrival.
The coloring is incredible.
The use of color is very vivid, and gold paint is used in key areas. It is also packed with intricate patterns. The depiction of clouds billowing out and the composition of the group of figures centered around an offering stand give it a different atmosphere from standard Nirvana paintings.
👀 Pay attention to this too!
The most interesting part of this painting is how 'signs of the Pure Land' are subtly mixed into the Nirvana scene. The jeweled trees standing in place of the Sal trees are the very scenery of the Pure Land described in the 'Visualization Sutra.' In other words, the artist combined the image of the Buddha's final moments with the Pure Land in a single work. With the inclusion of exotic-looking figures, this painting is packed with the international flair and religious views of the Southern Song Dynasty.