Sutra cover with boys holding the stems of large flowers
Not on view
Images of boys among floral scrolls, mainly lotuses, were imbued with meaning in the Buddhist tradition. Known as huasheng tongzi in Chinese or mahoraga in Sanskrit, this type of boy symbolizes rebirth from a sacred lotus growing in purified land. The decoration made this textile a fitting cover for a Buddhist sutra.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.