Painted Banner (paubha) of Goddess Ushnishavijaya Within a Funerary Mound (chaitya) and Surrounded by Chaityas
1513
Medium
Opaque watercolor with gold on cotton
Dimensions
58.2 × 57.2 cm (23 3/16 × 22 1/2 in.)
Classification
watercolor
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
131816
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
At the center of this cloth painting (paubha) from Nepal the goddess Ushnishavijaya is enshrined within a large Buddhist funeral mound or shrine (chaitya), flanked by a red and green bodhisattva. As the personification of the Buddha’s cranial bump (ushnisha), Ushnishavijaya is associated with wisdom and is worshipped for long life and freedom from rebirth. At the periphery, she is surrounded by the guardians of the four directions. The blank red spaces are areas where the painting was damaged an...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...