Artwork Details

Title
Stories of Previous Lives of the Buddha (Jataka)
Dimensions
63 1/4 x 34 1/4 x 1/2 in. (160.7 x 87 x 1.3 cm)
Medium
Pigments on cloth
Origin
Tibet
Classification(s)
paintings scroll painting
Date
18th century
Credit Line
Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
Object number
C2007.33.1
HAR Number
65816
Published references
* Jackson, David Paul. A Revolutionary Artist of Tibet : Khyentse Chenmo of Gongkar. Rubin Museum of Art (New York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2016). Fig. 11.14: pp. 281-283* Tsangwang Gendun Tenpa, "Garu Lobzang Sherap: A Tibetan Painter at the Qing Court.” (lecture, Tibetan Buddhism and Political Power in the Courts of Asia conference at Columbia University, New York, NY, April 9, 2019)

Begin your search...

Karma

Concepts

The functioning of cause and effect across time. Buddhists believe that everything we experience is the result of past actions, and everything we initiate has future consequences. Karma encourages actions to bring about positive outcomes and a better future.

See more

Wisdom

Concepts

The antidote to ignorance, with the highest form of wisdom being an understanding of the true nature of reality and all phenomena. In Buddhism studying the nature of interdependence and emptiness is considered an important step for attaining wisdom.

See more

Awakening

Concepts

A state of “waking up” from illusion and seeing the true nature of reality. Buddha Shakyamuni attained awakening while meditating under the bodhi tree. Buddhist teaching explains that the accumulation of merit and wisdom are essential for achieving awakening, also known as enlightenment.

See more

Buddhas

Figure Type

An awakened being who understands the true nature of reality and is free from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. While there are many buddhas, Siddhartha Gautama is the historical Buddha, whose teachings became the foundation of Buddhism.

See more

Tibetan Regions

Region

Today, Tibetans primarily inhabit the Tibetan Plateau, situated between the Himalayan mountain range and the Indian subcontinent to the west, Chinese cultural regions to the east, and Mongolian cultural regions to the northeast. During the 7th to 9th century, Tibetan rulers expanded their empire across Central Asia, and established Buddhism as the state religion.

See more

Sign up for our newsletter

Your gateway to Himalayan art and its insights, with stories and news from the Rubin.

Discover artworks, articles, and more by typing a search term above, selecting a term below, or exploring common concepts in Himalayan art.