Appreciation of Vimalakirti Scroll. Song Dynasty

This Song Dynasty hanging scroll reimagines the iconic Buddhist debate between the lay scholar Vimalakirti and Manjusri Bodhisattva. The ailing Vimalakirti reclines on a lion-shaped armrest, his gaunt torso and intense gaze embodying the paradox of spiritual vigor amidst physical frailty. Behind him, a celestial maiden scatters blossoms—a motif from the Vimalakirti Sutra symbolizing attachment and transcendence.

Executed with robust ink outlines reminiscent of Li Gonglin’s Song-era baimiao (plain-line) technique, the work employs mineral pigments like cinnabar and malachite, creating a solemn palette enriched by gold accents on the furniture. The repetitive arched rock formations reveal Ming artists’ stylized reinterpretation of Six Dynasties Buddhist motifs. Though traditionally attributed to Zhang Sengyou (6th century), the rigid drapery lines and flattened perspective align with 16th-century Zhe School conventions.

Housed in Taipei’s National Palace Museum, this scroll bridges classical Buddhist iconography and Ming literati aesthetics, reflecting the syncretic evolution of Chinese religious art.