Death of Buddha, and Other Events

Buddhist art, including temple banner paintings from Southeast Asia like this Cambodian example, often depict in one composition multiple events that are recorded as having taken place during the life of Shakyamuni Buddha. The registers of this painting focus on his death and the related events that follow. At the bottom of the composi­tion he takes his last meal at the home of Cunda, the son of a village goldsmith. To the left of this, the Buddha is led to a forest of sal trees belonging to the Malla king at Kusinara. Above, on the left, is the Buddha’s death in that forest, a result of food poisoning. To the right of this, Kassapa, a major disciple of the Buddha, hears the news. Above this, Kassapa and other mourners surround the Buddha’s pyre. At the top of the banner, the Buddha’s body is elegantly encased prior to the cremation.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.

Ethnic East, Regent Hotel, Mae Rim Old Road, Chiengmai, Thailand; Collection of James E. Bogle, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, December 10, 2002, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 2010, by gift.