The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 25, 2024

Celestial Musician

Celestial Musician

1300s
silk and gold thread over two layers of cotton, embroidery
Overall: 66.5 x 45 cm (26 3/16 x 17 11/16 in.)
John L. Severance Fund 1987.145
Location: not on view

Description

Although a number of Buddhist textiles produced in the Sino-Tibetan style survive, Central Asian embroideries from the same period are exceedingly rare. Here, a goddess standing on a lotus support and playing a bowed lute may be the personification of the sense of hearing. In Buddhism, the five senses were represented as female deities, each a different color (in this case, blue). The style of the figure, her hair, the form of her crown, the nervously ruffled hem, the scrolling scarves, and the rainbow halo with rays are Central Asian. This figure originally was part of a large hanging.
  • Watt, James C. Y., Anne E. Wardwell, and Morris Rossabi. When silk was gold: Central Asian and Chinese textiles. 1997. pp. 199-201, reproduced in color, p. 200
    "Highlights from North American Collections." IDP News: Newsletter of the International Dunhuang Project, no. 49-50, Summer 2017, pp. 4-7. 7
  • When Silk Was Gold: Central Asian & Chinese Textiles from the Cleveland and Metropolitan Museums of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 26, 1997-January 4, 1998); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 26, 1997-January 4, 1998); The Metropolitan Museum of Art (organizer) (March 2-May 17, 1998); The Metropolitan Museum of Art (organizer) (March 2-May 17, 1998).
    Object Lessons: Cleveland Creates an Art Museum. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 7-September 8, 1991).
    The Year in Review for 1987. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 24-April 17, 1988).
  • {{cite web|title=Celestial Musician|url=false|author=|year=1300s|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1987.145