Artwork Page for Processional Mask of a Bodhisattva

Details / Information for Processional Mask of a Bodhisattva

Processional Mask of a Bodhisattva

行道面・菩薩

late 1100s

Japan, Heian period

(794–1185)
Medium
wood, lacquered and painted
Measurements
Overall: 22 x 16 cm (8 11/16 x 6 5/16 in.)
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund 1950.581
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
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Did You Know?

The most famous welcoming descent procession happens each year on April 14 at the temple Taimadera in Nara.

Description

This ceremonial mask was used in a dramatic enactment of the descent of the Buddha Amida and his entourage to welcome the dying to his Pure Land. The mask represents the face of an enlightened being called a bodhisattva. Performances of the welcoming descent had begun by the early 11th century and continue at some temples today.
A wood and lacquer mask features an oval face with peeling white paint over reddish-brown wood. Narrow, downcast eyes contain horizontal slits beneath arched brows. A straight nose sits above a small mouth with full lips. A golden crown with a petaled rim rests atop dark, scalloped hair. Elongated earlobes frame the face, extending toward a rounded chin. The weathered surface reveals the underlying grain across the forehead and cheeks.

Processional Mask of a Bodhisattva

late 1100s

Japan, Heian period (794–1185)

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