Hanging Made from Pieced Fragments of a Priest’s Robe (kāṣāya) with Design of the “Thousand Buddhas” Motif

The main field of this hanging features the “Thousand Buddhas” motif representing the Buddha’s infinite availability, the actual number being insignificant. Here, 90 Buddhas stand in tall rectangular panels or seated in squares. The figures are worked in long stitches of multicolored silk satin, while their backgrounds, of several tones of apricot-colored silks in vertical lines, feature chevrons, swastikas, and other geometric patterns. The central area is surrounded on three sides by multicolored clouds in a border with similar grounds. The halos of the Buddhas and other small parts of the work are in appliqué; the ground of the embroidery is a fine white gauze.

This textile once took the form of a wide rectangular embroidered priest’s robe (kāsāya). Two large square-shaped sections were subsequently cut and reassembled one above the other, pieced together along with borders featuring a design of rocks, plants, waves, and clouds. In its original state, the textile was most likely presented by Chinese imperial officials to a high-ranking member of the Buddhist clergy in Tibet.