Period:Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Date:early 15th century
Culture:China
Medium:Silk twill damask
Dimensions:101 x 51 1/2 in. (256.5 x 130.8 cm)
Classification:Textiles-Woven
Credit Line:Purchase, Sir Joseph Hotung Gift, 2002
Accession Number:2002.271
Shadakshari Lokeshvara is the bodhisattva of compassion (Avalokiteshvara) in his role as the lord of the six realms of existence (hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, humans, demigods, and gods). He personifies the well-known Sanskrit invocation om mani padme hum, or "hail to the jewel in the lotus, " which is found at the top of the hanging beneath the seed syllable hrih, thought to contain the essence of the bodhisattva. The Tibetan-language invocation to the goddess Mahashri at the bottom is often found in the art of the Yongle period.
Impeccably woven in a single color, the hanging's damask weave structure and silk fiber impart a certain luminosity to the bodhisattva, lotus, and inscriptions, but they also make the picture somewhat elusive. The image seems to shimmer and change depending upon the light and the viewer's position. A photograph of the center of the hanging is shown here for your reference.