Art Institute of Chicago

Textile Wrapper for Jingoji Sutras

Japan

Date

1185

Medium

Bamboo, silk, mica, and gilt bronze

Culture

Japan

Department

Arts of Asia

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This wrapper would have held 10 sutra scrolls. It is made of about 300 strips of bamboo dyed black and fastened with colorful braided silk cords, the coloring of which softly shades from green to white to orange-red. Under the bamboo is a sheet of mica that gives the wrapper added opulence and also protects the sutra from water. Three wrought-metal butterflies adorn the embroidered silk frame. The wooden tag affixed to the wrapper says, “Rules and Laws on Lives of Monks and Nuns (Maka sôgi ritsu).” The lacquer box, only 45 of which remain, is also from the same set. Each box would have held several wrappers and about 60 sutra scrolls. The contents of this particular box, which did not include the scroll on display, are written in red lacquer on the outside.

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