Tang dynasty painting
- Gallery: Room 33
- Culture: Tang dynasty; 唐代
- Date: 8thC-9thC (circa)
- Object type: painting, 繪畫
- Materials: silk; 絲綢 (Chinese)
- Museum number: 1919,0101,0.20
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
This Tang dynasty painting captures scenes from Buddhist legend, featuring a central figure of a monk and fragments of narrative storytelling. The main panel shows a standing Buddha with one arm preserved, hands and fingers gently joined—an iconic gesture from the Lotus Sutra. The golden tone of the Buddha’s robe is suggested through vibrant orange shading, visible despite the painting’s fragile state. This work was once part of a grand composition, as noted by the join lines in the silk, indicating it was originally larger.
Scattered throughout are smaller figures, including musicians, horsemen, and monks, all framed by a dramatic mountainous landscape with flying birds, including a vulture. These scenes reflect a legend about a miraculous Buddha image and the movement of sacred traditions from India.
The painting’s silk support is enhanced with rich color and intricate patterns, such as the lotus pedestal where the monk stands. Once part of a much larger piece, fragments of it are now held in different collections. This artwork gives a glimpse into a lost masterpiece from the 8th or 9th century, preserved through careful fragments like this one.
See it in person
Tang dynasty painting is on display in Room 33 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
New, in beta. British Museum support has just launched and is still improving: over 1,000 objects so far, with more added all the time.
