Artwork

Buddha Preaching, a section from the Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki)

Buddha Preaching, a section from the Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki) is an unspecified painting. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

History & Provenance

It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a painting.

The work known as Buddha Preaching is a section from the Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki), a Japanese narrative handscroll, painted by an anonymous artist. It is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a painting. The available records do not specify the date of commission, an accession number, or a record of past exhibitions, and no ownership history prior to the museum's acquisition is documented.

Context

The work belongs to the tradition of the Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma, a handscroll format produced in Japan that pairs narrative illustration with Buddhist textual themes. The genre visualizes moral causality and the karmic consequences of action, serving a didactic religious purpose. Its placement in the Metropolitan Museum of Art highlights its role as a representative example of Japanese Buddhist narrative painting in a Western museum collection.

Overview

The work is a painted segment from the illustrated sutra known as the Illustrated Sutra of Past and Present Karma (Kako genzai inga kyō emaki). It portrays the Buddha seated in a meditative posture, delivering a sermon to an assembled group of listeners. The composition is framed by a muted landscape that hints at foliage, creating a tranquil backdrop for the teaching scene.

Subject & Meaning

At the centre, the Buddha is shown cross‑legged on a raised platform, encircled by a luminous halo that signifies his enlightened presence. He wears a red robe draped over his shoulder, a traditional iconographic element. Surrounding him are several figures in modest attire, some with head coverings, who appear absorbed in his discourse, reflecting the sutra’s emphasis on moral causality and the transmission of dharma.

Technique & Style

The painting employs bold, flowing line work characteristic of Japanese emaki scrolls, combined with a vivid palette that highlights the central figures against a subdued background. The use of strong contours and saturated colors serves to delineate the spiritual focus while the softened greens and earth tones of the distant trees suggest depth without detracting from the narrative core.