釈迦三尊十大弟子像|Shaka (Shakyamuni), the Historical Buddha, with Two Attendant Bodhisattvas and the Ten Great Disciples

The painting is executed on silk using ink, color, and gold, arranged as a hanging scroll. The figures are rendered with fine mineral pigments and delicate ink washes, while gold is applied selectively for halos and decorative accents. Stylistic features include attenuated forms, serene facial types, and softly modulated drapery folds, consistent with Kamakura-period Buddhist iconography.

The handling emphasizes linear grace and subtle shading rather than volumetric modeling, and the composition balances symmetrical arrangement with individualized postures among the twelve figures.

The hanging scroll titled 釈迦三尊十大弟子像|Shaka (Shakyamuni), the Historical Buddha, with Two Attendant Bodhisattvas and the Ten Great Disciples was created in Japan in 1316 by an anonymous painter. Executed in ink, color, and gold on silk, the work depicts the Buddha Shakyamuni together with two attendant bodhisattvas and the ten great disciples, including imagery of a Buddha, bodhisattvas, and an elephant. Its inception is recorded as 1316, placing its production in the early 14th century.

The painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains owned by the museum. Provenance details indicate creation in Japan followed by acquisition by the museum, though specific commissioning information is not recorded.

The work is an anonymous Japanese hanging scroll dated 1316, executed in ink, color, and gold on silk, and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its religious genre and iconography, depicting Shakyamuni Buddha, two attendant bodhisattvas, and the ten great disciples, reflect the devotional emphasis of late Kamakura‑period Buddhist art. The painting’s attribution to an unnamed master and its inclusion in the museum’s collection have made it a reference point for scholars studying the stylistic development of Buddhist narrative painting in Japan.

This hanging scroll, executed in ink, color, and gold on silk, depicts Shaka (Shakyamuni), the historical Buddha, accompanied by two attendant bodhisattvas and his ten principal disciples. Created around 1300 for a Japanese temple, the central golden Buddha is seated on a lotus, flanked by two smaller sacred figures, with the disciples arranged in rows beneath them. The lower border features tiny elephants bearing offerings, completing the devotional scene.