Chinese, Qing dynasty, Qianlong period
(1736-1795)
Goddess Bodhiruma
ca. 1740
Hanging scroll; ink, color and gold on silk
overall: 104½ x 46¼ in
265.43 x 117.48 cm
image: 65⅝ x 35¾ in
166.69 x 90.81 cm
Arthur and Margaret Glasgow Fund
2004.70.2
This legendary goddess is named after the bodhi tree under which the Buddha achieved enlightenment. In this painting, she and two attendants—one holding a bodhi tree branch—are dressed in elaborate attire. The color, brushwork, and size of the painting are indicative of the imperial workshop in Beijing.
Along with the King Sagara painting (VMFA 2004.70.1), this painting is associated with the Buddhist water-and-land ritual ceremony in which a large series of devotional paintings depicting gods, humans, and demons was presented for salvation of all beings. The ritual developed in the 12th century and became the favorite ritual during the Ming and Qing dynasties.